Jeff Saturday Admits Big Mistake in Steelers Loss
The Indianapolis Colts fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night 24-17. They were driving in the final minutes of the game before ultimately coming up short.
A key moment came on a 2nd and 17 with just over a minute left in the game. Quarterback Matt Ryan scrambled for 15 yards to the Steelers' 22-yard line with 50 seconds left on the clock.
Interim coach Jeff Saturday elected not to take a time out, and the third-down play was run with 33 seconds left.
Saturday said immediately after the game he felt good about the time left on the clock, but after a night of reflection, he admitted he should have handled things differently.
"Looking back, obviously there's always things everybody wants to do or plays they want back, I wish I had that third down back," said Saturday.
"In all honesty, I wish I had used a timeout. Just looking at it on film, from a time perspective I felt good, but you could tell we were in disarray."
"I just didn't have a great feel. Parks (Frazier) made a great call. I still liked the call right away. We had the formation and personnel [changes], we had guys running across."
"Again, looking back, it's a learning experience. I didn't meet my expectations."
"I hold the guys accountable; I'm accountable for that. That was the one that's going to stick with me."
"When you look back, that's execution," Saturday said shaking his head. "And that one's on me."
His next statement will go a long way in the Colts locker room.
"I preach about accountability and execution; I'm living by the same words. When I see the guys tomorrow (Wednesday), I'll make sure they know where I stand on that one."
The Colts have a big test coming up against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Colts have lost five of their last six games, and the Cowboys have won four of their last five.
Indianapolis is a 12.5-point road dog according to SI Sportsbook.
It's a learning experience for Saturday and the Colts, but it's a crash course. Time is running out on the 2022 season.
