In the second half of the 2025 season, the Indianapolis Colts' offense was extremely limited because starting quarterback Daniel Jones was injured and replaced by Philip Rivers. Defenses could stack the line of scrimmage, and Indy couldn't do much to combat it. Shane Steichen is likely in the same situation with Alec Pierce missing some time early in 2026, and it could cost the coach his job.
Steichen was already in a make-or-break season with Indy. He hadn't made the playoffs in three years, and he was 7-22 against teams with winning records (he is now 7-23 after Indianapolis lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2). While he might be great at game-planning for the first drives of any given game, he is also limited without a player who is as explosive as Pierce.
That bore out in overtime against KC. Sure, Jones hit Laquon Treadwell on a long pass on the Colts' only drive in OT, but expecting Treadwell to continue catching deep passes and being touched-down by a defender just before he fumbles is expecting too much.
Alec Pierce missing games for the Indianapolis Colts is a real problem for Shane Steichen
Pierce is the only consistent deep threat that Steichen and his offense have. Josh Downs is a good receiver, but one who is better suited for the slot, catching passes in the seams. Keenan Allen doesn't offer any high-end speed anymore. What the recently signed Darius Slayton has left is unknown, too.
Without Pierce, the team could look a lot like it did at the end of 2025 when Jones wasn't playing. Teams are going to stack the line in hopes of slowing down running back Jonathan Taylor, just as defenses successfully did last season. Taylor is a great player, but he cannot consistently win games on his own.
Plus, the Indianapolis Colts have proven they won't win if the offense cannot play at a high level. The defense is putrid, and no one should believe it is suddenly going to get better. Lou Anarumo isn't a good enough defensive coordinator to correct things, and he doesn't have enough talent to do that even if he were a fantastic DC.
Week 3 could be brutal for Indianapolis Colts fans. Not because the team might get blown out by the Houston Texans, but more likely could lose a close game against a very good Houston defense that can shut down a Pierce-less Indy offense.
The Texans game could be a breaking point for Shane Steichen, general manager Chris Ballard, and others. Beginning the season 0-3 is no fun, of course, but no team in the AFC South is off to a great start. Losing to Houston in Indianapolis's first division game would be tough for fans because it means that even while the division is underperforming, the Colts are still a step behind.
Houston knows what it can do against the Colts on Sunday: Play close to the line and dare Steichen to be creative enough to beat them. That is unlikely to happen, just as it is unlikely that the head coach will keep his job beyond this season.
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