Stampede Blue
“We have got to raise our standard,” Steichen told reporters Wednesday. “It starts with myself, everything. We have got to be better. I told the guys today, man, we have got to play for each other. We have got to play together and attack every single day to get better so we can play a complementary football game.”
Talent gets wasted far too often and this current iteration of Indianapolis Colts football — from the rookies to the core captains — have three opportunities to prove it’s more than just potential.
The Colts (6-8) have yet to play complementary football in all three phases during a single outing this season. When the offense played lights out, the defense got torched with explosive plays. When the defense creates turnovers, the offense seems incapable of sustaining drives, which leave them hanging on the gridiron and forced to get another stop. Last Sunday, second-year head coach Shane Steichen derived from his team’s identity and played right into the opponent’s game plan.
“We have got to raise our standard,” Steichen told reporters Wednesday. “It starts with myself, everything. We have got to be better. I told the guys today, man, we have got to play for each other. We have got to play together and attack every single day to get better so we can play a complementary football game.”
Indianapolis went 1-7 against teams on pace to make the playoffs this season, with the lone victory coming against the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4), then led by Justin Fields. For the tenth consecutive season, the Colts failed in an organizational goal to win the AFC South and raise a banner inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Aspirations to clinch the franchise’s first playoff berth since 2020 were nearly obliterated by the Broncos in the most pivotal game of the season. It was as if the stampede waited until halftime to scale Mount Elbert and let their ambitious campaign freefall into oblivion.
Concerns regarding the lack of attention to detail spread after the Colts were swept by the AFC South champion Texans. Indy’s offense fell short against the NFC North powerhouses, managing to score one offensive touchdown in three games against the Packers, Vikings and Lions. Steichen took culpability in benching his franchise quarterback and committing to Joe Flacco, then reversed course once the 39-year-old veteran committed four turnovers himself against the Bills.
It seems Anthony Richardson’s absence from action turned out to be more of a punishment than an honest evaluation. The Colts are 7-7 in Richardson’s 14 NFL starts. Indy’s 22-year old franchise quarterback is like the major league slugger who either belts a home run or completely whiffs on three straight swings. His 47% completion rate is the lowest of any starting QB since Tim Tebow, possibly because he often aims to hit a game-breaking homer, rather than settling for the base knock. His 8.1 average completed air yards and 12.2 average intended air yards lead all QBs, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
“We just...
