The Indianapolis Colts lost in Week 1 to the Baltimore Ravens 41-23, and the outcome of the game was never in doubt. Afterward, head coach Shane Steichen said everything fans expected, but no one wanted to hear. Something along the lines of, "Cochach-speak choach-speak coach-speak, and then more of the same."
What he literally said in his post-game press conference was, "Obviously was not good enough from start to finish. We gotta coach better, we gotta play better in order to get better. We got a long season ahead of us. We got to clean up the snakes; we've got a lot of them, and we go from there."
The odd "snakes" comment aside (whether he misspoke "mistakes" isn't clear), the words are empty and meaningless, but this is what Indy fans have gotten used to hearing from the team's head coach. This gets tiresome and boring, and coupled with the mounting losses (eight in a row dating back to last season), Indy is facing the last thing it wants: Fan apathy.
Indianapolis Colts fans are likely tiring of Shane Steichen's empty words
The positive part is that Colts fans can still be vocal on social media about their frustration with the team's lack of success since 2020. That will fade too. The team isn't awful, though it was in Week 1, but it is mediocre and has been for years. What fans don't want is for the head coach to constantly churn out mediocre responses to losses, too.
That is the one thing that Steichen seems to do well, however. He is the master of mediocre comments, and he is becoming the very example of a mediocre head coach who seems better suited to be an offensive coordinator. In each of his three seasons, he has gone either 9-8 or 8-9. Being stuck in the middle is the worst place to be stuck.
It might be better if the head coach of such a franchise showed some kind of emotion. Act mad if the team fails, but Steichen's stoicism implies he is more of an observer than a leader, and this mediocre organization needs a leader.
After all, while Steichen gets credit for a bright offensive mind, he isn't just challenged with directing the offense. The entire team is under his on-field control. If the defense is struggling, as it has for most of the last several years and was just awful against the Ravens, Steichen needs to do something.
The team has become so boringly reactive that a lack of meaning is implied to fans. Maybe Shane Steichen, general manager Chris Ballard, and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo don't know how to fix the issues, as there is no indication they do, and Steichen doesn't even speak in a way that shows he cares.
Of course, he likely does, but he might not truly feel the lack of urgency that owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said the team needed in 2026. A buildup of training camp and the preseason led to a Week 1 loss and a lethargic team. That starts with the head coach. Instead, all fans get are lazy answers and meaningless quips, including Steichen's Monday presser, where he added nothing new.
Add us as a preferred source on Google