The Indianapolis Colts had an embarrassing loss on Sunday that evoked frustration and panic from fans. However, Frank Reich isn’t too worried.
On Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts returned to the field where they saw their playoff hopes vanish last season, the home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. After being thoroughly embarrassed and laughed off the field last season, there was no way Indy’s return could be worse. But, the unthinkable happened and the Colts somehow sustained an even more shameful defeat.
Losing the game 24-0, fans and media members made sure to let Indianapolis know that the performance was simply unacceptable. Some even argued that it may be time to consider moving on from head coach Frank Reich. In the midst of all the heat, Reich seems to be handling everything well.
Obviously, he was disappointed in what he called “a very poor showing in every way,” but he’s not ready to hit the panic button like many people outside the organization are. Following the game, Reich told the media that although Sunday’s performance was “pathetic”, he knows that the Colts aren’t that far from where they need to be in order to be a quality team.
Reich: "I’ve been around long enough to know that as pathetic as that was today, the distance between where we are + where we need to be isn’t that far. I know that doesn’t play that well in the outside world, but I’m OK with that. We’ll take our medicine. I’ll take my medicine"
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 18, 2022
Frank Reich insists the Colts are close
Whether that’s true or not, it’s Reich’s job to get Indianapolis to where they need to be and he needs to do it fast before the season gets out of hand. As bad as Sunday was, it’s still only Indy’s first loss, however, with the way the team played, those losses can begin to stack up quickly.
The Colts didn’t look like a team that was close on Sunday. Sure, they were without Shaquille Leonard, Michael Pittman Jr., and Alec Pierce, but their problems were bigger than a couple of injured players missing.
Indianapolis couldn’t pass protect, the team was out-schemed defensively, and the offensive play-calling was inconsistent with some head-scratching moments. It wasn’t a performance that left fans with the optimism that things could be better. But, the head coach has that optimism and he needs to. Now, Reich must turn that optimism into productive on-field results.
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