This was made even more astounding by the fact that the Colts entered the game lacking several key players and would lose a few more before the game ended. Braden Smith and Jonathan Taylor were already declared out, and Michael Pittman Jr. and Zack Moss would leave the game and not return.
There is no starting quarterback. There is no number one wide receiver. He started racing back, and his backup was gone. Shane Steichen, head coach of the Indianapolis Colts? No worries.
Steichen devised an excellent game plan, overcoming a poor performance in Cincinnati and a shaky start against the Steelers to totally overwhelm the Steelers defense. T.J Watt created havoc early on, but he was largely neutralized by the second quarter.
This game reflected Steichen’s first season as head coach in Indianapolis. The Jonathan Taylor drama begins, then Anthony Richardson is injured, Shaquille Leonard is released, Grover Stewart is suspended, and so on. There have been numerous factors that might have easily derailed the Colts’ season.
Steichen, on the other hand, has been a steadying influence for the Colts, navigating them through choppy waters to an 8-6 record and a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South. They have three winnable games remaining, and while they will need some help to win the division, the playoffs are a very real possibility.
Even without all of the injuries and suspensions, the Colts being in this position is impressive. To accomplish this with all of the challenges that arise is deserving of the Coach of the Year honor.
Sure, Dan Campbell has done a fantastic job of resurrecting the long-suffering Lions, and Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel have done fantastic jobs of revitalizing the offenses in San Francisco and Miami, respectively. There are plenty of good candidates, like Demeco Ryans in Houston and Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland. None of those coaches, however, have faced the level of adversity that Steichen has.
Who knows if Steichen will win the award; it appears rather improbable, which is unfortunate. In my opinion, he is by far the most deserved.
Even if he doesn’t win, Colts supporters should be pleased. If Steichen can get this kind of performance out of a squad with this many illnesses and distractions, think what he can achieve once Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman, and others are all well, happy, and on the field together.
During Monday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, Stephen Holder of ESPN spoke about the job Shane Steichen has done in his first year.
“He’s a hell of a coach man. We don’t have to sugar coat this, or sort of suggest it, we don’t have to do any of that. The guy’s a hell of a coach…Two things; I just mentioned the mentality that he’s instilled…That’s a huge part of this. But then, you combine that with the fact that schematically, what him and Jim Bob Cooter are doing offensively is off the charts.”
