5 biggest surprises for the Colts during the 2023 season

1. Shane Steichen burst onto the scene in year one

The hiring of Shane Steichen was a part of the Colts' shift to modern football in the NFL, with him being an offensive mind who helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl this past season. This team has had a rocky number of years when it comes to head coaching candidates, but it seems Indianapolis has found their guy.

What has been surprising is that if this team makes the playoffs, there could be a great argument made for a coach of the year nomination, given what this team had to endure in losing their quarterback, and their star running back for a lot of the season. Steichen has kept this team afloat and locked in despite adversity, and in year one that is one of the hardest things a coach can do.

Steichen had to alter his playbook quite a bit after the Richardson injury, but that did not take much time to get this offense back to where it needed to be with Minshew. This team has been without Grover Stewart and Isaiah Rodgers Sr. as well, and Shaquille Leonard's release had to be tough on the locker room.

But despite everything that has gone on though, Steichen has been that guy to lead this team through the fire. He shows clear excitement on the sideline, and always has this team fired up and ready to go, and this is seen in his aggressive playcalling as well.

Steichen is the coach you want to have in the 2020s, and with a few more years under his belt to help build this team up from where it was, anything is possible. Barring any setbacks or changes, the Colts appear to have made the right hire, and that has been the perfect gift for the Colts at this point in their rebuild.

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