How Colts' Shane Steichen Abandoned His Own Mentality vs. Chiefs

In the first half, all was well for the Indianapolis Colts in their eventual loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Indy jumped out to an early lead after a Laiatu Latu interception set the offense up inside the 5-yard line, and they followed that easy score with a 75-yard touchdown drive early in the second quarter.

Once halftime hit, Colts fans had high hopes that they would jump to a 9-2 record and deliver a serious blow to the Chiefs' playoff dreams. Those hopes slowly fell apart in the second half, primarily in the fourth quarter.

The Foreshadowing

The third quarter almost couldn't have gone any better. The Chiefs punted after receiving the second-half kickoff, and the Colts were pushing the rock downfield with hopes of scoring their third touchdown of the game.

Indy had 1st & 10 from the Chiefs' 20-yard line, but their drive was stalled after a rush for no gain on second down and an incomplete pass on third down. The Colts settled for a field goal, but their lead increased to 17-9.

Kansas City's next drive was another punt, giving the Colts the ball from their own 25. Daniel Jones had his men driving at will, and all of a sudden, the Colts looked like they were primed to punch in for six.

With 1st & goal from the Chiefs' 7-yard line, the Colts handed the rock to Jonathan Taylor for a 2-yard gain. Shane Steichen followed the rush up with two straight passing plays, both of which were incomplete, forcing the Colts to kick a field goal for the first time in a goal-to-go situation all year long.

Those decisions to pass it were an early insight to Steichen's mentality for the fourth quarter.

Run to Win? Not Today, Said Steichen

Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen looks on in overtime against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

When the Colts fell short against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9, there were concerns regarding whether or not Steichen abandoned the run too early. Most thought he did, but the difference between that game and this one is that the Colts had a lead to protect.

Steichen has preached the same mentality from the moment he was hired: "throw to score, run to win". The Colts threw to score, especially in the first half, but they never ran to win.

When the defense came up with a clutch red-zone fumble against Kareem Hunt, most assumed it was Taylor time. Even if he had been inefficient all game long, Taylor's legs could burn clock and maybe break away for a long one.

But, instead of calling plays designed for the NFL's rushing leader, Steichen dialed up some passes. Not just one or two, but eight fourth-quarter passes were called from a possible nine plays.

Up 11 in the fourth quarter, the Colts handed the ball off to Jonathan Taylor once. He had two touches in that same period.

Shane Steichen completely abandoned his “throw to score, run to win” philosophy.
— Peter Miller (@peteremiller) November 23, 2025

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It's hard to wrap your head around such a mind-numbing choice. Not only were the passes not working, but each one set the Colts up in a worse position. Time was bountiful for Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense, giving them reason to sweat when they got the ball.

The Colts' last four drives ended in a three-and-out. In the fourth quarter alone, the Colts gained six total yards. This isn't to say that giving the ball to Taylor is an automatic first down, but it's certainly an automatic way to burn time off the clock when you have an 11-point lead.

Taylor finished the loss with 16 carries for 58 yards. His 3.6 yards per carry were his second-lowest mark on the season, comparable only to the loss against Pittsburgh when he averaged 3.2 yards per carry.

The Colts last three drives took a total of 3:15 off the clock. Jonathan Taylor, the NFL's leading rusher, ran the ball 1 time. What am I missing?
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) November 23, 2025

The majority of Taylor's yards came from a 27-yard rush in the third quarter. When you take that out of the mix, he had 15 carries for 31 yards.

The Chiefs' defensive line was winning the battle in the trenches all day long, giving Taylor nowhere to run. The same held true for passing plays, as Jones was pressured on over 40% of his dropbacks according to Next Gen Stats.

Understandably, Steichen saw how inefficient the run game was, but when the passing game isn't going either, the most important thing is to start burning clock. The Colts didn't do that, and they simply gave Mahomes too many opportunities with too much time to get his team back in the game.

Daniel Jones and Patrick Mahome — Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) meet on field after the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The loss isn't the end of the world, but considering the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars both won this week, the Colts' grip on the AFC South is slowly loosening.

Next Sunday's matchup against Houston will have massive playoff implications, and it's practically a must-win if the Colts want to control their own destiny.

The Foreshadowing

Run to Win? Not Today, Said Steichen

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