Shane Steichen signals that the Indianapolis Colts are taking the Jacksonville Jaguars seriously
The Indianapolis Colts are set to take on a vitally important stretch in their 2024 season, beginning with a Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a long-time rival who the Colts have not defeated at home in 10 years.
After the Jaguars, the Colts will be facing the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins -- all struggling teams that the Colts should be able to beat. But it starts Sunday with the Jaguars, and it would be a huge mistake to underestimate them. After all, though they haven't won a game yet, three out of four of those games were incredibly close, with the Jaguars remaining competitive throughout. Now, they're desperate for a win, and to turn their sinking ship around. That could be dangerous for the Colts, particularly if they assume it will be an easy win.
Luckily, head coach Shane Steichen seems to understand how important it is to respect his opponent. In a recent press conference, he discussed the need to remain disciplined, and to respect the teams they'll be playing against.
Did Steichen call out Anthony Richardson?
"This morning, when I had the team meeting, I talked about the standard," he began. "And the standard doesn't care how talented you are. It doesn't. It cares about how consistent you are, and how disciplined you are. And we gotta be disciplined and consistent in our approach every week."
That could easily be seen as a jab at Anthony Richardson, the starting quarterback who was struggled with accuracy and mistakes this season. Though Richardson is essentially still a rookie QB, many have already started labeling him a bust, and calling for backup QB Joe Flacco to step in instead.
Steichen has been steadfast in his support for Richardson, but his words here seem to apply to his quarterback specifically. There's no doubting Richardson's innate talent and athleticism -- he's frequently been referred to as one of the best athletes in the NFL, period -- but without discipline and accuracy, being a talented athlete is all but meaningless.
Taking the Jaguars seriously
Steichen continued by pointing out that the Colts can't overlook the Jaguars. "I don't care that they're 0-4," he said. "They're a damn good football team. They've had some close games, obviously, that could have went either way. And we've got a division opponent that we gotta go beat."
Fans and players alike are all too aware of the Jaguars curse, and that will be hanging over the Colts' heads as they head into EverBank Stadium on Sunday. Will that give them the drive to win, or will they psych themselves out? Only time will tell, but it's a good sign to know that Steichen isn't underestimating this game as one that should be easy for them to win.
As of now, the odds are fairly split as to who is favored to win.