The Indianapolis Colts are walking out of their Week 13 matchup with the New England Patriots with a shocking last-second win.
All looked lost before a big game-winning drive by Anthony Richardson and the Colts offense that ended with an uber-aggressive call by head coach Shane Steichen to put the game away in regulation.
Shane Steichen makes gutsy call to go for two instead of overtime
The Colts offense saved the best for last today, with Richardson leading a 71-yard 5:17 drive to make it a 23 to 24-point game. Many expected the Colts to take the extra point with just 17 seconds remaining in the game, but Steichen had other plans. He elected to bypass overtime and go for two instead. And there was no doubt in anyone's mind what the play call would be. A designed QB run up the gut where the Colts trusted Richardson to win the game, and he would not be denied. I don't know how many head coaches out there are making that decision in a must-win game like this. But with how poorly the defense played on the day and of course the fact that it worked, it's hard to say he made the wrong decision.
Colts midseason success on defense looks to be a mirage
Early in the year, the play from the Colts' defense was truly concerning, with the unity looking like one of the worst defensive in the entire league. Then their performance in the team's Week 7 win over the Miami Dolphins sparked a four-week stretch where the improvements were undeniable. The Lions game last week was an up-and-down affair, but it's easy to chalk it up to playing the clear best offense in the NFL. This week's performance, though, felt like rock bottom for the Colts' defense as they allowed one of the worst offenses in the NFL to get whatever they wanted throughout the game. Even with the win, you have to wonder if Gus Bradley has allowed the game to get away from him and if the Colts should consider making a drastic change in defensive philosophy at the end of the year.
Even with the win it feels like playoff or bust for multiple people in the Colts building
The Colts season has had its fair share of ups and downs. But the downs have outweighed the good through the first 13 weeks. They are entering their bye week outside of the AFC playoff picture, and reports have already came out pointing towards GM Chris Ballard being on the hot seat. If they don't miraculously come back to win this game, we are probably already having discussions about Ballard and more losing their jobs after the season.
At the moment, my best guess would be the top of the firing list will be defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, whose scheme truly looks outdated for today's NFL. But I've pushed back against Ballard truly being on the hot seat in the past, but it seems very real at this very moment. If they elect to go that route, though, there will be a lot of mystery surrounding the future of head coach Shane Steichen and QB Anthony Richardson. I think those two fates are tied at the hip. If the Colts would choose to clean house and fire Steichen, I'd expect the new GM and head coach to give Ricahreson a short leash at best before selecting their own QB.
Finding a way to flip what appeared to be a loss into a win in the final seconds may hit a pause on those discussions. But it is starting to feel like a legit playoff or bust mindset for multiple Colts down the stretch. And the changes likely wont stop at just staff members, it will likely effect multiple key players as well. The 2025 Colts could look very different than the team we see today, and they have no one to blame but themselves. They enter the bye week at 6-7 and have a crucial Week 15 matchup against the Denver Broncos on the other side. They have the extra week of preparation, and they need to treat this one like a playoff game because it is truly the most important game left on their schedule.
