The Indianapolis Colts limped into the bye week having just beaten the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10. Taking off like a juggernaut through the first eight games of the 2025 NFL season, the team has looked more like a version of the past few Colts' teams.
Indianapolis had been playing an aggressive, disciplined style of football that took them to the top of the NFL standings with a 7-1 record. This Colts team, this city, have been the talk of the league. And they still are, but now it's more about how poorly the team has played heading into the bye week.
Head coach Shane Steichen can change that with one bold decision. Steichen doesn't need to fire any coaches or bench any players. He needs to reset expectations by reframing what success means.
Colts' head coach Shane Steichen can establish his leadership during the bye week
Success for this Colts team means embracing all the good that came through Week 8, along with all the bad that came out of the Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Indianapolis can cautiously reflect on the victory in Week 10 against the Falcons and embrace the momentum it brings.
In times of adversity, leaders lead. Now is the time for Steichen to ensure everyone on that team, players and coaches combined, shares the same expectations. The team needs its head coach to redefine who the Colts are becoming.
Steichen can also get the team to embrace the steady progress this Colts team has made and use that as a launching point for the remainder of the season. Shane would be changing the definition of winning, without losing sight of the goal every team shares in not just reaching the Super Bowl but taking home the Lombardi trophy for the first time since 2007.
One would have to be naive to think players don't listen to or see what the media is saying. Indianapolis can dictate that narrative by getting back to proving that toughness isn't just talk. Going through the adversity of defensive injuries is enough to break any team, and that's where Steichen's leadership can pull this team together.
Sometimes the boldest decision isn't tactical, it's psychological. For Shane Steichen, the Colts' bye week isn't just a reset; it's a chance to define who the Colts are becoming. And if he gets that part right, the wins will take care of themselves.