Have you ever read the Indianapolis Colts' coach bios on the team website? They follow the template that all teams use, which tells how long the coach has been in his current position (or in her current position, as the NFL finally does have a handful of female coaches).
The bio then goes into a fair amount of detail about the coach’s history. It lets you learn a lot about some of the more anonymous members of a football operation.
Now, understand that these are not unbiased. The bios are team property, and so they mention only the good stuff, as in “this tight end coach helped (player X) reach the Pro Bowl in his second season." They never say, “As offensive line coach, his unit was called for more holding penalties than any team in the last decade.”
Former quarterback Alex Tanney might have the most important job on the Colts this year
I read a lot of these things. But I have never seen something like the one for Alex Tanney, the Colts’ passing game coordinator. After defining his role in the first paragraph, the second begins with, “In 2024, the Colts ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in rushing yards per game.”
Do you notice anything odd about that sentence from his bio? He is the passing game coordinator. He held the same role in 2024. So why does his bio laud a rushing stat? It’s almost an implied insult.
It’s as if the writer is saying, “In 2024, the Colts had a really good rushing attack, and since their offense overall was mundane, their passing game must have stunk.” Not the best of looks for the passing game coordinator.
To be fair, judging any coach from the outside is tricky. That is especially difficult in Tanney’s case because, though he is the passing game coordinator, he is layered beneath an offensive coordinator and a head coach with a background in offense.
Still, it’s hard to argue with the numbers. In 2024, Indianapolis was 25th in the league in total passing. The QBs threw the third-most interceptions and had the lowest completion percentage in the entire league.
Fans can take some solace in the fact that the attack was balanced, with three different receivers going for better than 800 yards. That suggests some plan behind those anemic numbers.
But it’s simply hard to overcome an inexperienced, inconsistent QB. In the seven games that Joe Flacco played in 2024, the veteran averaged 227 yards passing. In his ten games, Anthony Richardson averaged just 174. A 53-yard difference per game.
And I don’t suppose you need reminding that Flacco is gone. Joining Richardson in the battle for QB1 is Daniel Jones, a signal caller with a bit more experience but only slightly more efficient production in his career.
Alex Tanney has one primary job this season. He must design a passing attack that takes advantage of the gifts that Richardson and Jones share while minimizing their weaknesses. He isn’t alone. QB coach Cam Turner, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter (himself a former passing game coordinator), and Steichen are all experienced coaches who understand the passing game.
Ultimately, failure to produce will cost Steichen his job, but Tanney may be the first to fall if the passing game doesn’t show signs of improvement. That’s the deal you make when you accept the job of passing game coordinator.
Here's the good news. There are templates galore for this kind of thing. The best one I know from the past 15 years was the offense that Kyle Shanahan devised in Washington for rookie QB Robert Griffin III back in 2012. Run-pass options formed the foundation. The reads were simple. They usually involved one key.
If the end crashes in, the quarterback keeps the ball. If he holds his ground, the running back gets it. If the safeties stay high, you hit quick slants across the face. If they cheat and the corners press, take the deep shot. There were not a lot of choice routes or audibles at the line.
RGIII had one of the greatest seasons a rookie quarterback has ever produced in that offense. With such a simple game plan, it required an excellent athlete and perfect execution, and that’s just what RGIII provided.
Anthony Richardson has those rare athletic gifts, and Daniel Jones isn’t all that far behind him. Tanney needs to install a simple offense and then drill the hell out of his signal callers so that those simple plays are executed to perfection. Eventually, more complexity can be added, but not until the basics are mastered.
This is true for whoever plays under center. Even if it’s Riley Leonard. None of the Colts' current quarterbacks have had much success trying to out-complicate defenses. They need an offense that lets them rely on their legs to set up their throws.
Tanney helped turn Jalen Hurts in a champion and Hurts came into the league with a similar reputation for being able to run better than he could throw, Hurts also has the reputation of being just about the hardest-working quarterback in the NFL. That’s the other half of this equation. Richardson, Jones, even Leonard – they need to put in the effort to ensure the simple plays run like clockwork.
That is also the reason why Steichen needs to make a choice soon. Tanney was a career backup quarterback in the NFL. He knows that practice reps are limited. Whoever Steichen chooses will need as many reps as possible.
I imagine Steichen knows this, but if I’m Alex Tanney, I'm in his ear every day with a reminder. If you are the passing game coordinator on a team with an anemic passing game, you don’t have time to wait.