Shane Steichen Takes Blame for Indianapolis Colts Loss to Minnesota Vikings

When Indianapolis Colts Head coach Shane Steichen announced this week that Joe Flacco will take over the starting guard role instead of Anthony Richardsona decision for which he took full responsibility, he made it with victory in mind.

“(I) feel like Joe gives us the best chance to win right now,” he said Wednesday.

On Sunday night, things looked very different. Colts offense delivered their worst performance of the season against Minnesota Vikingsdrop 21-13 in prime time. Indy’s offense made just two field goals on the night and looked as stagnant as ever with Flacco under center.

If this is the offense the Colts deliver the rest of the way, it’s fair to wonder how many more games they’ll actually win this season.

“Obviously we’re very disappointed that we went on the road and didn’t get it done,” Steichen said after the game. “It all starts with me. I’m the head coach. I am responsible for everything that happens on the field, so I wasn’t good enough.”

“I wasn’t good enough” was a statement Steichen made quite often this season after games, but the results didn’t improve. To say the Colts’ offense hasn’t looked this bad all year wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Steichen’s unit posted season lows in points (6), red zone trips (0), first downs (13), yards (227) and expected points added (EPA) per game (-0.35). The Colts also didn’t get into the red zone the entire game.

In a week where Steichen made a massive change at his most important position, he had no answer for Brian Flores’ defense.

“I want to give credit to Minnesota as well. They did a lot of good things, but again, I’m the head coach,” Steichen reiterated. “Everything on this field has my name on it. They did a lot of good things defensively. They mixed their reports and blitz shows. We knew going into the game would be a tough challenge. This is a good football team. we played, but in the end it wasn’t enough and I needed to be better for the guys.”

Now, to its credit, the Vikings’ defense is known as one of the most aggressive and exotic in the NFL. They blitz at the highest rate in the league and use a variety of looks and disguises to take offense out of their game. This is a difficult test to prepare for.

But if you look at the raw numbers, the Vikings entered this game with the 30th-ranked passing defense in football, giving up 263 yards per game. They have proven to be durable against the run (ranked third in run defense), but there will be opportunities through the air for success.

Success never came as Flacco was inaccurate and seemed to sense the pressure before it came. Flacco finished 16 of 27 (59%) for 179 yards and an interception while being sacked three times. Consistency and the ability to keep the offense on track were the main reasons why Flacco was named the starter over Richardson didn’t materialize.

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While Steichen didn’t comment on Flacco’s performance on the field, he thought the quarterback handled the situation well and placed the blame on himself.

“He was fine,” Steichen said of Flacco. “Obviously he’s played in similar conditions before, but again, it all starts with me as the head coach.”

The Colts Run game also had problems. Indy gained just 68 yards on 19 carries for a 3.6-yard average. Jonathan Taylor did the best he could, but with the Vikings defense focused on not letting Taylor beat them, all he could do was 48 yards.

A less dynamic running game is another side effect of Richardson’s benching. The Colts have no threat at quarterback with Flacco, allowing the defense to attack Taylor without pausing to pay tribute to Richardson’s abilities on the ground. This takes away the dynamic aspect of the offense that the Colts desperately need.

“We’ve got to run the football effectively with JT and everything, but we’ll get things in order,” Steichen noted. “I have full faith and confidence that they will restore order in the future.”

To make matters worse, the Colts were gone. excellent defensive work in which all the team’s best playmakers made an impact. Grover Stewart And DeForest Buckner were monsters in the middle, dominating the interior of the Viking defensive line. They recorded three of the Colts’ four sacks in the afternoon, including Stewart’s phenomenal strip sack, picked up by Kenny Moore II for the lone Colts landing in the evening.

Speaking of Moore, he and Zaire Franklin were all over the place making crucial plays for the defense. Franklin and Nick Cross recorded two Sam Darnold interceptions while Kwity Paye And Dayo Odeyingbo We were in the backfield all night. It was a tremendous effort for the unit, which again spent most of the game on the field.

The box score may show the Colts giving up 415 yards of offense to the Vikings, including 137 yards to All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. But Gus Bradley’s group did enough to win the game for the Colts if the offense had held up their end of the deal.

“I think Gus and those guys have done a great job of getting the momentum going,” Steichen admitted. “They played well the whole game. Really. Obviously they kept us informed the whole time.
turnover there, the first one to give us a touchdown there. But I thought our defense did a damn good job.”

The Win Now Colts suddenly find themselves at 4-5, having lost back-to-back games for the second time this season and falling below .500 again. Despite the loss, the Colts remain just one game out of the final spot in the AFC with eight games remaining. They still have a path to the playoffs, but they won’t get there if the offense continues to perform the way it did on Sunday night.

When Steichen and the Colts moved from Richardson to Flacco, they made it clear that they were sacrificing long-term development for short-term success. They’ve pumped themselves up, heightening the expectation that they’re going to make the playoffs and need a better option now. Now it’s playoff or bust time for this Colts team.

But after a performance like that, who’s to say Flacco gives them the best chance to win? Steichen said last night that the Colts are going to stick with Flacco “right now,” so don’t expect them to go back to Richardson anytime soon. However, if Steichen wants this to work, he needs to find answers quickly.

“I need to continue to look at what we’re doing offensively, you know what I mean?” Steichen explained. “We have eight (games) left. It’s already halfway through the year. Just look at the scheme and what we do and move on.”

Steichen made the bed with Flacco, and now he has to lie in it. And if that doesn’t work out and the Colts miss the playoffs, this bed and Steichen’s seat will get a lot hotter come season’s end.

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