Colts' Shane Steichen Explains Play-Calling Decisions in Loss vs. Chiefs

The Indianapolis Colts had just caught a break.

After a 48-yard connection from Daniel Jones to Laquon Treadwell was initially called a fumble and recovery by the Kansas City Chiefs, a long review revealed Treadwell was down by contact. The call set up the Colts with first-and-10 at the Chiefs' 17-yard line, down 30-27 with 4:50 left in overtime.

A touchdown would ice the game and complete the upset, giving the Colts some much-needed momentum. But a field goal would give the ball back to Patrick Mahomes with a chance to win.

Shane Steichen had time during the review to think about his red-zone approach. Should the Colts stay aggressive through the air or rely on Jonathan Taylor, who already had two touchdowns on the night?

The Colts' head coach chose the latter, opting to run the football and keep it out of harm’s way.

“I was trying to finish the game with JT, with the ball in his hands," Steichen explained. "Obviously, we ran it there on first down. Ran it again on second down. We got to third-and-long. They knocked us back there."

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen throws his challenge flag during the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Taylor was stopped for a one-yard loss on first down. It wasn't the end of the world, as the Colts had plenty of opportunities remaining. But another run on second-and-11 resulted in a two-yard loss, putting the Colts at a huge disadvantage with third-and-long upcoming. It was a puzzling decision by a coach who preaches staying aggressive and attacking the defense.

With the Colts facing third-and-13, the only option was to throw the football. But Jones had nowhere to go.

"We threw it. Daniel (Jones) scrambled there on the one, right on the sidelines and got hit, pretty close there," Steichen remembered. "Then it was fourth-and-eight, play called but had to love the look to run it there. Obviously, we took the delay of game there and kicked the field goal to tie it.”

The Colts kept the offense on the field on fourth down and looked like they were going to run a play. But it had to be the perfect look for the play they had called, and the coverage Indy wanted didn't materialize.

"I was like, ‘Shoot, if you love it, man, let’s go at it, let’s go win this thing,'" Steichen remarked. "'If it’s not the right look, shoot, let’s kick the field goal.’”

"I think it was smart to see if we liked our chances on the look," Jones admitted. "Whatever Shane thinks, I am 100 percent behind.”

Jones looked over to Steichen, who signaled for him to wave off the play. Indy settled for a field goal, giving Mahomes 3:11 to get into field goal range.

It was more than enough time, as the Chiefs worked downfield against a Colts defense that had another awful performance and easily got into Harrison Butker's range. The 40-yard field goal went through the uprights as time expired, giving the Chiefs a thrilling 33-30 victory and sending the Colts to 0-2.

Steichen was immediately questioned about how he handled the end-of-game situation, as it seemed the Colts left off the gas. The head coach felt it was the best option to end the game with his Pro Bowl running back.

“I think in that situation, we wanted it to be the last possession for us," Steichen said. "We were going to run it there, in that situation and let JT win it there at the end.”

There is an argument to be made for both sides on how Steichen handled the final set of downs. Going with Taylor, who finished with 132 total yards and two touchdowns, is not a bad strategy, especially on first down. Steichen was heavily criticised last season for not using Taylor to seal the victory against the Chiefs last season.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs. — Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, after being stuffed on first down, it seems the Colts would have had a better chance of success if they had thrown the ball rather than run it again with Taylor. Jones had played really good football up to that point as well, going 22-of-31 (71%) for 210 yards, a touchdown, and an interception that was more on Keenan Allen than Jones. The goal was to put the Colts in a third-and-manageable situation, but the call was too conservative, and the Chiefs were hell-bent on not letting Taylor beat them.

The call to not go for it on fourth down is also understandable. It's not smart football to run a play if you know it is doomed from the start. Steichen and Jones obviously felt that as they took the delay-of-game penalty.

However, leaving over three minutes on the clock for Mahomes and Andy Reid to get into field-goal range against a defense that gave up over 500 yards for the second week in a row was a recipe for disaster. While Spencer Shrader's field goal tied the game, it felt like the Colts would need a miracle.

Steichen was in an incredibly difficult situation. However, the Colts’ mantra this season is "find a way." The head coach himself has preached all offseason that his team needs to find a way to win in these exact situations.

They did not do that on Sunday night. The Colts had one of the best teams in the AFC on the ropes on the road and couldn't finish the job. That is the difference between a good team that is a playoff threat and a team that misses out on the postseason five years in a row.

Now 0-2 and with the odds stacked against them, the Colts face a must-win against a struggling Houston Texans team. If they can't pull it off, this season and the future of this regime will be on life support.

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