The current head coach of the Colts officially said, “We are the back,” with boldness due to their upcoming match with…
The Colts’ current head coach boldly stated, “We are the back,” in reference to their forthcoming match.
Indianapolis — Shane Steichen beat out 13 other contenders to become the Indianapolis Colts‘ head coach, not only because of his accomplishments, but also because of what he has the potential to do to stabilize Indianapolis at the game’s most vital position.
The former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator, who was named the Colts’ new coach on Tuesday, presented Indianapolis with a detailed plan for addressing the quarterback position, with the Colts expected to select one of the top college prospects in the upcoming NFL draft, potentially Alabama’s Bryce Young.
“Shane just knocked it out of the park and really showed the qualities that put him above during the whole process as our man,” Jim Irsay, the company’s owner, said.
The Colts had one of the NFL’s worst offenses in 2022, finishing 30th in scoring (17 points per game), 27th in QBR (36.8), and 30th in yards per play (4.8). Steichen hopes to duplicate some of his previous achievements, such as the passing offense he built with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 and the diversified approach he showed with the Eagles over the last two seasons.
“My philosophy is that in this league, we’re going to throw to score points and run to win,” Steichen stated, implying that an aggressive offensive strategy is on the way. “It might look different every week. Sometimes we go into games thinking, ‘Hey, we’re going to throw it a lot,’ and then we end up running it 45 times. The flow [of the game] will dictate that. I know we’ve got some elements in place to get that done, and we should be good to go.”
According to one team source, Steichen has a “mad scientist” personality and has provided a detailed plan for developing a young quarterback. That, in particular, earned points with the Colts’ management. According to the source, the versatility of Steichen’s plan will allow the Colts to be more open-minded when picking a quarterback, rather than limiting their selections to quarterbacks who exactly match their scheme.
“I think accuracy, decision-making, and the ability to create are the three things that I look at in a quarterback,” he was quoted as saying. “I believe those three things are critical. But above the neck, the players I’ve worked with—Jalen Hurts, Justin Herbert, and Philip Rivers—all have one thing in common: they’re passionate about their art. And if you can find that in a quarterback, you’ll probably be successful.”
The Colts may have discovered a quarterback in Young who checks all of the criteria.
“Do you trade up?” “You can do so many things,” Irsay stated. “The Eagles drafted Jalen in the second round. However, the Alabama guy does not look awful, I tell you.”
Hurts, who racked up 374 total yards of offense in a dominant performance in the Super Bowl on Sunday, credited Steichen for his accomplishment.
“I give a lot of credit to Coach Steichen for what he’s been for me these last two years and the things he’s taught me,” Hurts said in a statement. “For what he’s done for me and this squad as a motivator, leader, coach, and coordinator, I think he’s meant the world to us. When you win, you want to give other people the opportunity to pursue their ambitions, and that’s what he’s been able to do, and I know he’ll do an excellent job in Indianapolis.
When it came to filling out the remainder of his coaching staff, Steichen refused to provide any detailed answers about his plans. However, the Colts have barred their defensive coordinators from applying for other positions since numerous head-coaching candidates interviewed by the organization expressed an interest in keeping them.
According to a team source, the finalists who made the strongest impressions on the Colts outside of Steichen were Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, new Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, and Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Jeff Saturday, a surprising hire as interim head coach for the final eight games of last season, was one of the applicants who received a second interview. However, there was no impetus to offer him a permanent position by the end of the process.
On Saturday, a former All-Pro Colts lineman went 1-7 as a coach.
“I want to thank Jeff Saturday for his committed and professional effort for what he did, coming in in a very difficult situation and doing an admirable job,” Irsay said in a statement. “I really appreciate and thank Jeff. “He is very important to this organization.”
Saturday, in a video released to Twitter, described his time as “a tremendous blessing. It’s something I treasure. I wish we had done better, but that is where we are. I wish Coach Steichen the best of luck. I’m still a big Colts fan and rooting for you guys. I’m looking forward to lifting some Lombardi Trophies and am pleased about your opportunity.”
Saturday was formerly thought to be a front-runner for the post due to Irsay’s well-known fondness for him. However, Ballard’s poor performance last season, as well as his and others’ roles in the organization, undoubtedly hampered his chances. A small group of Colts supporters launched an internet petition to push the team to recruit someone else, an event that made light of Tuesday.
“To everybody out there, including the however many thousand who signed the petition,” he went on to say, “which may have included my wife and son—not exactly sure… in all honesty, I’m so grateful to Colts Nation and who you are.”
