When Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced this week that Joe Flacco would take over as starting quarterback in place of Anthony Richardsona decision he took full ownership of, he did so with victory in mind.

“(I) think Joe gives us the best chance to win right now,” he said Wednesday.

That certainly wasn’t the case Sunday night. The Colts offense achieved his worst performance of the season against the Minnesota Vikingsfalling 21-13 in prime time. Indy’s offense only made two field goals on the night and looked as stagnant as ever with Flacco under center.

If this is the offense the Colts are emphasizing all the way to the end, it’s fair to wonder how many more games they’ll actually win this season.

“Obviously, I’m very disappointed to go on the road and not make it,” Steichen said after the game. “It starts with me. I’m the head coach. I’m responsible for everything that happens on that field, so I wasn’t good enough.”

“I wasn’t good enough” is a statement Steichen has often repeated this season after games, but the results haven’t improved. To say the Colts offense hasn’t looked this bad all year isn’t hyperbolic. Steichen’s unit posted season lows in points (6), red zones (0), first downs (13), yards (227) and expected points added (EPA) per play (- 0.35). The Colts also didn’t reach the red zone all game.

In a week where Steichen made a massive change at the top position, he had no answers for Brian Flores’ defense.

“Credit also goes to Minnesota. They’ve done a lot of good things, but again, I’m the head coach,” Steichen reiterated. “Everything that happens on that field, my name is on it. They did a lot of good things defensively. They mixed up their coverages, their blitz looks. We knew it was going to be a tough challenge before the game. It’s a good football team we played. But in the end it wasn’t good enough and I have to be better for the guys.

Today, to their credit, the Vikings defense is known for being one of the most aggressive and exotic in the NFL. They blitz at the highest pace in the league and use multiple looks and disguises to eliminate offenses from their game. It’s a tough challenge to overcome.

But when you look at the raw numbers, the Vikings came into this game with the 30th-ranked pass defense in football, allowing 263 yards per game. They had been solid against the run (third best run defense), but there would be opportunities for success through the air.

Success never came, as Flacco was inaccurate and seemed to sense the pressure before it appeared. Flacco finished 16 of 27 (59%) for 179 yards and an interception while being sacked three times. Consistency and the ability to keep the offense on track, the main reasons Flacco was named the starter over Richardson, failed to materialize.

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Although Steichen did not comment on Flacco’s performance on the field, he believes the quarterback handled the environment well and took the blame on himself.

“He was fine,” Steichen said of Flacco. “Obviously he’s played in environments like this before, but again, it starts with me as the head coach.”

The Colts running game also struggled to get going. Indy mustered just 68 yards on 19 carries for an average of 3.6 yards. Jonathan Taylor did what he could, but with the Vikings defense focused on not allowing Taylor to beat them, 48 yards was all he could manage.

Another side effect of benching Richardson is the less dynamic running game. The Colts have no threat of a quarterback matchup with Flacco, allowing defenses to start Taylor without stopping to honor Richardson’s ability on the field. This eliminates a dynamic aspect of the offense that the Colts desperately need.

“We have to be efficient in running the football there with JT and all that, but we’re going to clean this up,” Steichen remarked. “I have full confidence that they will be able to clean up this situation in the future.”

What’s even worse is that the Colts are devastated a fine defensive effort that saw all of their top playmakers make an impact. Grover Stewart And DeForest Buckner were monsters in the middle, dominating the interior of the Vikings defensive line. They recorded three of the Colts’ four sacks on the afternoon, including a phenomenal strip-sack of Stewart recovered by Kenny Moore II for the Colts’ only touchdown of the evening.

Speaking of Moore, he and Zaire Franklin were everywhere, making crucial plays for the defense. Franklin and Nick Cross recorded two interceptions from Sam Darnold, while Kwity Pay And Dayo Odeyingbo were in the backfield all night. It was a huge effort for a unit that was once again on the field for most of the game.

The box score may show that the Colts gave up 415 total yards on offense to the Vikings, including 137 to All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson. But Gus Bradley’s group did enough to win the game against the Colts if the offense had held up their end of the bargain.

“I thought Gus and those guys did a heck of a job getting the turnovers,” Steichen admitted. “They played well the whole game. They really did. Obviously, they kept us in it the whole time. Get the
turnover there, the first one to score us a touchdown there. But I thought our defense did a heck of a job.”

The “win now” Colts suddenly find themselves at 4-5, losers of two games in a row for the second time this season and back below .500. Despite the loss, the Colts are just one game out of the final AFC wild card spot with eight games remaining. They still have a way to go to make the playoffs, but they won’t get there if the offense continues to produce like it did on Sunday night.

When Steichen and the Colts traded Richardson for Flacco, they made it clear they were sacrificing long-term development for short-term success. They turned up the pressure on themselves, raising hopes that they would make the playoffs and needed the best option at the moment. It’s now playoff or bust for this Colts team.

But after this performance, who can say that Flacco gives them the best chance of winning? Steichen said last night that the Colts were going to stick with Flacco “for now,” so don’t expect a return to Richardson anytime soon. However, if Steichen wants this to work, he needs to find answers quickly.

“I have to continue to watch what we do offensively, you know what I mean?” Steichen explained. “We have eight (games) left. We’re halfway through the year now. Just look at the plans and what we’re doing and go from there.”

Steichen made his bed while accompanying Flacco, and now he has to lie in it. And if it doesn’t work and the Colts miss the playoffs, that bed and Steichen’s seat will be a lot warmer come season’s end.

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