Sunday's blown fourth-quarter lead in Kansas City has Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen re-evaluating how he called his offense late in the collapse.
Having built a 20-9 fourth-quarter lead, the Colts' high-powered offense earned nary a first down in three fourth-quarter drives or their overtime possession. Four straight three-and-outs. That's how you lose a double-digit lead to Patrick Mahomes.
Perhaps the most egregious was the lack of touches for Jonathan Taylor, an MVP candidate through the first 11 weeks. On the three fourth-quarter drives, Taylor had one carry (-2 yards) and one catch (7 yards) total.
"You always go back and self-evaluate those situations," Steichen said Monday, via The Associated Press. "I really thought that last drive in regulation when we went pass, pass, pass, I could have called some runs there. Absolutely could have eaten up some time there, but, you know, in hindsight, it just didn't work out, and I look at myself first and foremost in those situations to get better for our guys."
The Colts were held to a season-low 255 total yards and 10 first downs Sunday. Kansas City outgained them, 494-255. The -239 margin is the worst in a game for Indy since Week 7, 2017, versus Jacksonville (-286). The 10 first downs are the Colts' fewest in a game since Week 16, 2022, versus the Los Angeles Chargers (also 10).
Daniel Jones had his worst day as a Colts passer, going 19-of-31 for 181 yards (season low), two passing touchdowns and a 99.0 passer rating. The half splits underscored the collapse. In the first half, Jones was 10-of-12 for 94 pass yards, two pass TDs and a 138.9 passer rating. In the second half and overtime, he went 9-of-19 for 87 pass yards, zero pass TDs and a 60.6 passer rating.
Not only is Steichen evaluating his questionable late play-calling, but he's also rethinking the decision to punt the ball back to Mahomes instead of going for it on fourth-and-4 on the plus-45, up three points with under five minutes remaining. Even pinned back, Mahomes still drove the Chiefs for the game-tying field goal. The more prudent move would have been to try to keep the ball away from the three-time Super Bowl MVP.
"That was kind of a gut feel there, that one on the 45-yard line," Steichen said of the decision to punt. "I thought, let's try to back him (Mahomes) up and let him go the long way instead of the short way. Obviously, he went down there and we held them to a field goal, but, yeah, you always look at those things and should I, could I, have went for it there? Yeah, possibly."
The Colts have scored exactly 20 points in all three of their losses this season.
Falling to 8-3, with a second loss in three weeks, Indy's once dominant division lead is in peril. The Colts face both clubs nipping at their horseshoes in the AFC South, with a home date against the 6-5 Texans on Sunday, followed by a trip to Jacksonville (7-4) in Week 14. The next fortnight could decide whether Indy re-establishes itself atop the division or if we'll have a barnburner down the stretch.
