INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Coach Shane Steichen has tried everything to jump-start the Indianapolis Colts' anemic offense.
He's thrown deep passes. He's tried to create headaches for defenses with the dual running threats of quarterback Anthony Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor. He's even changed quarterbacks.
So far, not much has worked and after Sunday night's 21-13 loss at Minnesota, Steichen and the Colts are scratching their heads and scrambling again to find solutions.
“I always look at myself first. I'm the head coach, I oversee it all,” Steichen said. “So I've got to go back and grind at it and keep working to put these guys in the best position going forward. I look at down-and-distance stuff, a whole bunch of different things, what we're calling, how we're calling it, formation, scheme, everything.”
What's next is anybody's guess.
It was just last week when Steichen determined 39-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco provided Indy (4-5) with a better chance of making the playoffs, so he benched Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Flacco didn't fare much better Sunday when he threw for 179 yards, was intercepted once and lost a fumble on a botched handoff. He certainly wasn't the only one to blame in a game that the Colts managed just 227 total yards and 13 first downs while they struggled to sustain drives and came up with a field goal on their only real scoring drive.
Those are certainly not the numbers Indy anticipated after drafting Richardson as its next franchise quarterback and giving receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and Taylor lucrative contract extensions. The Colts also have the NFL's highest-paid offensive line.
Yet here they are, barely averaging 20 points per game.
“We've got to get more consistent in everything we do, and we've got to have great preparation throughout the week,” Steichen said. “We've got to put our guys in position to make plays and we're going through that process right now.”
All the problems have done is raise more questions. Could Richardson reclaim his starting job? Would Steichen give up his play-calling duties? Might there be a surprise deal before Tuesday afternoon's deadline?
For now, Steichen sounds more committed to finding answers than making changes — and figuring out how to change directions before they host Buffalo next weekend.
“Yeah, he'll be the starter,” Steichen said when asked about Flacco. “We've got a lot of football left, got a lot of faith and trust in our football team. We're going to go put in the work this week to go beat Buffalo.”
What’s working
Defensive tackles. In his second game back from a sprained ankle, Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner provided a key presence for Indy's defensive interior line. Buckner and Grover Stewart created chaos for the Vikings, combining for three sacks including a key strip-sack.
What needs work
Getting Taylor and Pittman more touches. Indy gave its two top playmakers three-year extensions for a total of $112 million over the past year. But Taylor had only 13 carries for 48 yards and one catch for 11 yards Sunday while Pittman had one catch for 14 yards. Indy needs more productivity out of both.
Stock up
CB Kenny Moore II. The Pro Bowler scored Indy's only TD at Minnesota on a 38-yard fumble return. He's now scored three times since last November and now ranks fourth all time among Colts defensive players. He also had six tackles, all solo tackles, with one for loss.
Stock down
Flacco. In his third start with the Colts, Flacco struggled. He went 16 of 27 with 179 yards, threw one interception and took three sacks — all on Indy's final possession. The biggest problem, though, was his inability to convert third downs to keep Indy on the field.
Injuries
The lone bright spot Sunday night may have been no key additions to what has been a lengthy injury list this season. Steichen said Monday he had no update on LT Bernhard Raimann's progression through the concussion protocol. Raimann was replaced by rookie Matt Goncalves at Minnesota. Steichen also said there has been no discussion of adding Pittman (back) to the injured reserve list.
Key number
9 — All nine of Indy's games this season have been decided by one possession, including Sunday's season-worst eight-point loss.
Next steps
The Colts find themselves at a crossroads with a road trip to the New York Jets sandwiched around home games against the Bills and NFC North-leading Detroit. Losing just two of the three could put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy, so Steichen needs to find a quick fix.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Michael Marot, The Associated Press
