Same story, different day for the Indianapolis Colts. After getting out to a very small 7-0 lead where the defense carried, it was the offense that could not get anything going. An offense that was looking for a spark with backup veteran Joe Flacco taking the reins this week, Flacco was anything but that, delivering a dismal and anemic offensive performance. Joe Flacco was hardly the only problem on Sunday, as this team is unable to put together a complete game plan.
Worst Offensive Performance Of The Season
A lot changed last week when Shane Steichen announced they were benching Anthony Richardson for Joe Flacco. It’s fair to say that the majority of the fanbase disagreed with this decision, and now you could argue the entire fan base no longer agrees with it. The results speak for itself. The Colts compiled 227 yards of total offense and were 3/11 on 3rd down. Maybe the worst stat of the entire game is that they never made it to the red zone once. The offensive line also struggled as Jonathan Taylor had his worst outing of the season with 48 yards on the ground.
The offense committed two costly turnovers in this game as well. Jonathan Taylor mishandled the snap on the opening drive, which was primed to put points on the board. The second was a horrific interception from Joe Flacco. As mentioned prior, they were looking for a spark with Flacco and got just the opposite. The only points that came from the offense were from the leg of kicker Matt Gay, who finished 2/3 on field goals.
Defense Continues To Improve
It may not seem like the Colts’ defense was great as they allowed 415 total yards in the game. Give the Vikings coaching staff some credit on the offensive side of the ball, they schemed up their players into successful situations. They ran the ball well and they were able to get all their receivers open. Justin Jefferson had 7 receptions but, they made him the decoy often and he was kept out of the endzone.
The strength of the defense on Sunday was their front seven, especially in the first half. They kept up the pressure on Sam Darnold and accumulated 4 sacks in the game. They were also able to force 3 turnovers that, unfortunately, the offense could not capitalize on. The only touchdown in the game came from a strip sack fumble by Grover Stewart that Kenny Moore was able to take to the house.
They held this offense to 21 points on their total of 415 yards and while that does not seem great, they were able to get the turnovers and the pressure to keep them in the game. The early returns tend to be split on this defense’s efforts but considering where they were early in the year, this is an improving unit.
Franchise At A Crossroads
This week was a true line in the sand for this franchise. They pinned themselves into a corner and getting a win would have taken the heat off everyone. With this loss, it now seems this fanbase is looking for the true blame. Is this on Steichen? Ballard? Or even Irsay? How much meddling was in this decision that was made last week?
As in all aspects of life, when decisions go bad there must be consequences. This franchise has reached a crossroads again in the direction of where they either want or need to go at the quarterback position. The decision-making of Shane Steichen this week was poor. If we believe the reports, it was his decision and his alone. The same coach that left Jonathan Taylor on the bench with the game on the line this week. Is the same one that gave the order to bench Anthony Richardson. The offensive plan and scheme were simply not good enough. Steichen was right as he said in his presser, it fell directly on him.
It has gotten deeper than that now. Colts Owner Jim Irsay has allowed this mediocrity to continue by continuing to employ Chris Ballard. Ballard is the one who handpicked Shane Steichen. I will admit, this is the first time I have had real doubts about Steichen and his ability to lead this football team. The most telling argument to me is the regression and indecision of the offense. We all thought it was the defense that was causing the issues, but credit to them, they have improved. This offense has not, and since Steichen is the main architect of it, he is the one that needs the most criticism this week.
Shane Steichen and this franchise made a potentially unpopular decision this week with both the fans and the players in the locker room. Regardless of what side you are on, it has come full circle and now they must face the music on that decision. It’s obvious that this team is not a contender as we were told. So put Richardson back in and show everyone you can bring some hope for next season. Otherwise, this entire staff from top to bottom will not be here and we will be back where we started from. Steichen said that Flacco would continue to be the starter “for now” but I fully expect them to re-consider the decision again next week as they return home to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 10.
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