If you have watched enough Colts games with Shane Steichen as the head coach, then what happened in Sunday's 41-23 loss to the Ravens shouldn't surprise you. Yes, it is only Week 1 and there are a bunch of things that you can overreact about. With that being said, this loss represents more than just a single loss. It represents Steichen’s time in Indianapolis. The flashes of promise, self-inflicted wounds and lack of consistency looked all too familiar.
Following an impressive nine-play, 65-yard opening drive that ended in a touchdown, the Colts were quickly brought back to earth. It’s a script Colts fans have read dozens of times, a methodical opening scripted drive followed by an inability to keep control of the game. From that point on, the Ravens dominated the first half, outscoring Indianapolis 31-7. When you look closely at how this game unraveled from start to finish, you'll see the defining traits of the Steichen era in Indianapolis.
Steichen has a record of 25-27 in his time with the Colts. More intriguingly, he has a record of 7-23 against winning teams and 18-4 against losing teams. It is a team that year in and year out can beat up on the teams with no playoff hopes, but can never go toe-to-toe with real playoff contenders.
There is no debating whether or not Steichen has what it takes to put up points on the board. The real question that seems to loom around him is whether or not he can lead men in all three phases of the game.
Steichen has been the playcaller of the offense since he arrived in Indianapolis in 2023. It's worth noting that in the last 20 years there have been four teams that have won the Super Bowl when the head coach has called the plays for the offense.
That's not to say successful head coaches can't have that role, but you have to ask the question, can Steichen lead the team and call the plays simultaneously? If the Colts continue playing the way they did against the Ravens, it is a question worth asking whether Steichen should continue calling plays for the Colts offense.
There are definitely games where the offense does click on all cylinders, but it happens far too rarely. Under Steichen, the good could genuinely compete with anyone, but when things go south, the ugly is truly unwatchable. When the offense isn't at its best, it forces you to wonder if his time and energy would be better spent elsewhere. If he were able to oversee the entire team on Sundays and not constantly be staring down at the call sheet, then maybe, just maybe, the conversations surrounding Steichen right now may sound a little different.
Without a doubt, when this offense is operating at its peak, you can better understand why Steichen is a head coach in the NFL. His offensive scheme has so many elements that make it so difficult for opposing teams. Players buy into his modern style offense because it is truly designed to spread the ball around and push it downfield in a balanced run-pass attack. Steichen has proven it can and does work, especially after the 8-2 start that they had last season. What it boils down to is how long can it last.
Consistency in the playcalling has also been an issue that has been the catalyst in many losses. Now, this does not all fall on Steichen as he is not physically on the field and determines where the ball goes, but he plays a major role. More specifically with the run game, so often are there drives where it's not until the third quarter that the run game comes alive. Even if Jonathan Taylor is a future hall of famer, it's going to be hard for any running back to get going if they are going long stretches without a carry.
To be clear, this isn't about one bad Sunday. A single loss in Week 1 truly means very little in the bigger picture, considering half the teams in the NFL start out 0-1 after the first week. But this game was not just a bad performance, it was the same performance Colts fans have seen so often with Shane Steichen as head coach. The fast starts that quickly stall out. The defense that can't hold a lead against a contender. The underutilization of star players. The self-inflicted wounds when it matters most. This is nothing new, recurring problems that have yet to be solved.
That's what makes it so uncomfortable for Colts fans. If this were a new problem, you could just chalk it up to it being Week 1 and move on. However, it's the same problem that has led to a 25-27 record and no playoff appearances. It does not all fall on Steichen, but it is the head coach's responsibility to find a solution and give the fans hope.
Shane Steichen has all the tools to fix what seems to be a part of the Colts identity. Colts fans are not asking for perfection, they are looking for consistency.
