Grades for Colts special teams and coaches
Special Teams
Really solid effort from this group to start the season. Especially from the new kicker Matt Gay, who not only kept us in the game against Baltimore but won the game on a winning kick in overtime. Punter Rigoberto Sanchez has been solid and looks to be back from his Achillies tear last season. We did see some mishaps from Isaiah McKenzie in the Baltimore game on returns, but you could argue that ended up winning us the game due to the following return mistake that Baltimore delivered back to us.
Grade: B+
For a team that has a new special teams coach and staff on that side of the ball, they are playing at a high level. They lost their star asset in Ashton Dulin in the offseason and now they lost Dallis Flowers. They have promoted Amari Rodgers to assist with the loss of Flowers. How they fill those needs will be critical going forward.
Coaching Staff
Head Coach Shane Steichen took on the monumental task of trying to turn around a team that won four games last season and finished with an interim coach. Steichen has proven to be the perfect fit for this organization and the locker room. He has brought a fresh new offensive gameplan and has brought a new level of accountability that the staff before him could not achieve. The coaches all believe in him and more importantly, the players do as well.
Grade: A
The continued growth of Anthony Richardson will be the top priority of this staff going forward. I think the growth of the assistants under Steichen will be something to watch as the Colts do have one of the youngest rosters in the league. They are, without question, better than we all expected up to this point and they will need to keep their foot on the pedal as the season progresses.