Fans are calling for Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard to be fired after disastrous loss

After a brutal loss to the Denver Broncos, the Indianapolis Colts have all but lost any chance of making it to the playoffs. While it's still technically possible, the chances are incredibly slim, and fans are, for now, looking to understand what has gone so catastrophically wrong with this team.

Much blame has unfairly been placed on Anthony Richardson. Yes, the young quarterback has made many errors, including on Sunday. Then there is the offensive line, which started out the season as one of the best in the league, and has since absolutely crumbled. Jonathan Taylor is an elite running back, but he still made a fatal mistake Sunday. The receivers and tight ends can't be relied upon to make a catch, even when the ball is placed directly into their hands. And the defense? They have plenty of talent, and played a fantastic game on Sunday... but they're also inconsistent and unreliable.

In short, the Colts' issues go far beyond just Richardson. The problems are systemic, and they're not going to change unless the changes come from the top. It's well past time for the Colts to clean house, and fans are not being quiet about it.

Shane Steichen

Head coach Shane Steichen has faced criticism all season for both his play-calling, and his handling of Anthony Richardson. He's faced accusations of losing the locker room, and botching the Richardson benching in favor of Joe Flacco.

Those whispered complaints have grown to a roar, even before the Colts lost to the Broncos. He was already one of the worst play-callers in the NFL, and the Broncos game showcased that in the worst way. In the fourth quarter, with the Broncos leading by a slim margin, Steichen called for a trick play with Adonai Mitchell... the young rookie wide receiver who has been far from productive so far this season. Yet Steichen expected a rookie who can hardly catch a pass to handle a trick play where he first had to catch the ball, and then throw it back to Richardson. To absolutely no one's surprise, it was a disaster; Mitchell took too long, tipping off the defense, and Mitchell didn't notice Nik Bonitto barreling right in front of Richardson and handed the Broncos a pick-six that further buried any chances the Colts had of regaining the lead.

Most have rightly pointed the finger at Steichen for calling that play, and afterwards, all he could say was, "I don't think he saw the guy, to be honest."

Steichen seems incapable of making plays for the players he has; instead, he seems set on preconceived plays regardless of his players' ability to execute them, not to mention countless other factors -- crowd noise, weather, the opponents' abilities, the way the game has been going.

Then there's how he's handled Richardson himself; the man who was once called a quarterback whisperer has now become a coach who seems to have a serious misunderstanding of the kind of player Richardson is and who he can be.

Altogether, fans are furious.

Chris Ballard

Perhaps no one is on the hot seat as much as general manager Chris Ballard. Fans have been clamoring for him to be fired for quite some time now, and this season has only made it worse. Since he's joined the team, they have only been to the playoffs one time, and he's overseen a quarterback carousel with 12 -- yes, 12 -- starting quarterbacks having come and gone in less than 10 years.

The Broncos game also illustrated a major issue with Ballard: his inability to address the major depth problems the Colts have at nearly every position. Ballard is notoriously reticent to take on free agents and rarely adds outside talent. That has, unsurprisingly, led to the issue of injuries completely destroying the team at multiple positions, as there's no one reliable to replace them with.

By now, fans are fed up and want Ballard gone.