INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Indianapolis Colts were supposed to measure this season's succe s by Anthony Richardson's development.Instead, the rookie quarterback's changed the equation.First-time coach Shane Steichen has dealt deftly with a series of unforeseen twists and turns, the most notable being the lo s of Richardson in Week 5, to put the Colts within one win of a .500 record and on the cusp of the playoff mix at the halfway mark.In this league, there are waves up and down, Steichen said when the Colts snapped a three-game losing streak with Sunday's 27-13 victory at Carolina. Thats part of this league. Being consistent is the big proce s. Weve got to be consistent week in and week out in all three phases.ADVERTISEMENT So far, the Colts (4-5) have been riding those waves through troubled waters.While Richardson, the No. 4 overall draft pick in April, showed tremendous promise in his four starts, injuries allowed him to finish only one game.His replacement, Gardner Minshew, committed eight turnovers during He rebounded the past two weeks, though Bill Belichick and the Patriots (2-7) almost certainly will throw some unique challenges at Minshew next weekend in Frankfurt, Germany.NFL rushing champ Jonathan Taylor (ankle) and three-time All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard (back) are just starting to round into pre-injury form following offseason surgery and limited snaps as they eased their way back into action. was yet another distraction until he signed a three-year, $42 million extension in early October.And heading into Kenny Young Jersey last weekend, Indy's defense had allowed a league worst 28.6 points per game despite leading the NFL in tackles for lo s and strip sacks.Somehow, though, Steichen's resilient Colts seem poised for a second-half run. Only seven AFC teams have more wins than Indy, which hopes to build off the momentum from their latest victory by navigating one of the league's most manageable remaining schedules.I think we all understand what we have potentially as a football team," Minshew said Sunday. "I think if we play to our potential, we can be really good.WHATS WORKINGScoring. The offense has completely reversed last season's struggles. At 25.8 points per game, the Colts are now No. 7 in the league and 8.8 points ahead of last season despite losing Richardson. points in all nine games. WHAT NEEDS HELPDefense. Yes, Indy played inspired football against Carolina rookie QB Bryce Young. in franchise history with two pick-6's in one game and the Colts allowed a season-low 13 points. The new goal is proving that's the norm not an anomaly.STOCK UPRB Zack Mo s. Nobody has been a more pleasant surprise than Mo s, who served as a role player his first three NFL seasons. This year has been a breakout season. In eight games, he already has career bests in carries (132), yards (615) and TD runs (five) despite mi sing the opener with a broken arm and splitting carries with Taylor since Week 5. and is likely to cash in with a nice, new contract next season.STOCK DOWNTE Mo Alie-Cox. With five tight ends on the active roster and Jelani Woods on injured reserve, Alie-Cox's role has been scaled way back. Yes, the 30-year-old former college basketball star remains a leader in the locker room. But he has only caught five pa ses for 72 yards and one TD.INJURIESIt has been a rugged start with Taylor's early absence, Leonard's slow start and RT Braden Smith (hip, wrist) has mi sed four games and LB Zaire Franklin (knee), the league's leading tackler (102), sat out Sunday. ... Impre sive rookie WR Josh Downs (knee) could mi s time after getting hurt Sunday. ... DT Grover Stewart has been sidelined by a six-game suspension.KEY NUMBER4 Indy needed nine games to match last season's victory total.NEXT STEPSAside from Minshew's turnover-prone two-game stretch, the offense has been consistently solid. They will become an even more daunting foe if the ground game becomes a more steady component. But the next big step must come from ___AP NFL: David Long Jersey