The Indianapolis Colts had a chance to make the playoffs, despite struggling throughout the 2024 season. Yet in their last chance to keep those playoff hopes alive, the Colts lost, sealing their fate. And what's worse, they didn't just lose - they lost to the New York Giants, the worst team in the league.
They lost to a team that lost their last 10 games.
They lost to a team that hadn't won at home at all, until the Colts came to town.
They gave up the most points ever -- 45 -- in the 70 years the Colts and Giants have been playing each other. The only exception was a game played in 1950, where the Giants scored 55 points.
They played like a team that had no focus, no discipline, and no idea how to win.
The message is blindingly clear: the Colts need to clean house.
This is the most embarrassing Colts loss since the infamous 2021 finale in Jacksonville. That game cost Carson Wentz his job.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) December 29, 2024
I suspect there will be a price for this one, too.
In this game, it was the Colts - not the Giants - that looked like the worst team in the league. And it's far from the first time the Colts team has looked ridiculous in front of the league.
There was the horrible way Shane Steichen handled his offense - from his play-calling to his decision to bench Anthony Richardson, which is rumored to have lost him the locker room. That fiasco led to a confused offense, which was constantly being forced to readjust to quarterbacks with vastly different styles and abilities.
Then there has been the issue of Steichen's running the offense, having grown a reputation for a coach who envisions the plays he wants, while ignoring the abilities of the players he has - something that, unsurprisingly, is a recipe for disaster.
Against the Denver Broncos, Steichen called a trick play with Adonai Mitchell, a rookie wide receiver who has struggled throughout most of this season. Yet Steichen still expected Mitchell, of all people, to handle a trick play where he first had to catch the ball, and then throw it back to Richardson. To say the least, it did not go well; Mitchell took too long to execute the pass, which tipped off the defense, and gave the Broncos an easy pick-six.
He tried a similar trick play against the Giants, even though the offense was hardly at their best, and once again, it failed miserably. Once again, Steichen had no clue how to read what was actually happening on the field, and to call plays that actually work for the players he has and the situations they're dealing with.
That seemingly includes a mentality in which he has no problem throwing his players under the bus; just look at Richardson. He was treated horribly during the benching situation, so much so that virtually everyone who weighed in criticized how Steichen handled it; now, with Richardson injured and unable to play against the Giants, Steichen did it again. All week, Steichen blithely told the media that Richardson was merely sore. The truth only became clear on Sunday, when he finally admitted that the real problem - back spasms - was much worse than Steichen initially let on. And then he wouldn't let Richardson talk to any reporters after the game.
There have been ongoing issues behind the scenes that indicate the culture in the locker room is not as disciplined as it should be, which says more about the coach than it does the players. There's plenty of talent on this Colts team; why is it wallowing in mediocrity year after year?
Other coaches, like defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, should definitely be in the hot seat this season. The defense, which has had a few great performances this season, is inconsistent at best and completely ineffectual at worst. Again, there are plenty of talented players on this squad. They're not being taken advantage of by coaches who seem oblivious to reality.
Really, we could go on and on - but the point is clear. Steichen is in over his head at best, and incompetent at worst. He, Gus Bradley, and Jim Bob Cooter all have to go.
I asked #Colts HC Shane Steichen if he’s worried about his job security:
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) December 29, 2024
“I control what I can control.”
Tough question, I’ll admit.
Then there's Chris Ballard, the beleaguered general manager whose reputation precedes him in the worst way.
Under Ballard, the Colts have been to the playoffs just once, all while riding a quarterback carousel with 12 starting quarterbacks in less than 10 years. He also has failed to address the major depth issues the Colts have at nearly every position, allowing the team to become completely decimated with virtually any injuries, as there's no one to replace them with.
When Ballard came to Indianapolis, he help up a martini glass, toasting the Colts and promising to kick everyone's ass. That hasn't happened, and it hasn't even been close; instead, Ballard has caused a culture of chaos to be fostered within his football team.
Enough is enough. If Jim Irsay is paying attention, and we can only hope he is, he'll have gotten the message by now that it's time to clean house, and start fresh from the ground up.