Colts' Shane Steichen Nearly Lost Matchup with Broncos

On second down, Taylor went up the gut for one yard, moving it to the 40 and setting up a 58-yard try. At that point, the decision became obvious — instead of putting the ball in Jones’ hands on 3rd-and-7, Steichen was playing for field goal position.

The third call confirmed it: another Taylor run, this time a counter that lost two yards and pushed the ball back to the 42. That meant Shrader would be lining up from 60.

Three straight runs for one net yard. The clock burned. And the fate of the game was left on the leg of a second-year kicker who had never made one from 60 in his career. Shrader missed, of course.

But Indy got bailed out. Denver was flagged for leverage, pushing the ball up 15 yards. Shrader drilled the second attempt from 45, and Lucas Oil erupted. Colts win, 29–28. Everyone celebrates. And most people will forget what happened before the flag.

Some say the leverage affected the snap on the first kick, and maybe it did. But the real issue is
the mindset. You’ve got a quarterback who’s been efficient all afternoon. Jones was 6-of-9 on 3rd down.

The offense has weapons in Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., Tyler Warren, Alec Pierce, and Taylor as a check-down. They were sitting at the opponent’s 43 with a chance to make this a chip shot — and instead, they slammed on the brakes.

That’s not the aggressive Steichen Colts fans signed up for. This is the same guy who built his
reputation in Philly by going for it on fourth downs and letting Jalen Hurts end games. Where did
that go this time?

The numbers back it up. In the NFL, kicks of 58 yards or longer are made only 39% of the time.

And beyond numbers, think about the message it sends. Jones has done everything asked of him in Indy so far — he’s managed the game, taken care of the ball, made the necessary throws.

So what does it say when, with the game on the line, you don’t even give him a chance? That’s the kind of thing a quarterback notices.

Sure, the Colts are 2–0 and sitting pretty. But in January, you don’t get bailed out like that. Refs
don’t always throw the flag. Kickers don’t always get a second chance. And games against the Baltimore Ravens or Buffalo Bills aren’t going to be decided by settling for a prayer from 60 yards.

Winning hides mistakes. But if Indianapolis wants to be taken seriously as a contender, Steichen has to do better than this. Trust your quarterback. Trust your offense. And don’t settle.

This Colts team is built on talent and toughness, but their ceiling will be defined by trust — trust
in the quarterback, trust in the weapons around him, and trust that the head coach won’t shrink
from the moment.

If Steichen wants Indy to reach that ceiling, Week 2 should serve as a reminder he can’t afford to play it safe again.

The Colts survived on Sunday, but they won’t always be saved by a yellow flag.

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