The Indianapolis Colts have to gauge the panic meter after their collapse against the Chiefs, even though the team got a key defensive player back on the field for the game. But here are the Colts most to blame for the late-game meltdown against the Chiefs.
Two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes threw for a season-high 352 yards while rallying the Chiefs from an 11-point deficit. And Harrison Butker hit his fifth field goal of the game from 27 yards out, giving Kansas City a 23-20 overtime victory on Sunday.
And there was plenty of blame to share.
QB Daniel Jones needs to be better
Going 19 for 31 for 181 yards isn’t good enough when the opponent holds running back Jonathan Taylor in check. Jones has to be able to step up if the ground game gets slowed down. It’s non-negotiable for a true Super Bowl contender.
Things simply stopped working for Jones and the Colts’ offense in the fourth quarter and overtime, according to Colts.com.
“Just didn’t execute in some key situations,” Jones said. “Gotta do a better job overall in our execution. And I have to do a better job of handling all that stuff. Tough to have a stretch like that toward the end of the game. Some opportunities we didn’t take advantage of.”
Jones said the Chiefs ramped up the pressure as the game went along. He went 2 for 8 passing for 13 yards in the fourth quarter.
“They’re an aggressive defense, and they bring pressure,” Jones said. “And I’m trying to get the ball out quick. Obviously, they’ve got a pass rush and guys inside who can make plays. And I think their scheme’s really good.”
Jones said the loss is tough.
“Frustrated, for sure,” he said. “But you try to stay into what’s next. I don’t think anyone got out of the game, or out of the moment, or let that affect us.”
HC Shane Steichen took responsibility
The Colts led 20-9 in the fourth quarter and had three drives resulting in three-and-outs. None of those three drives lasted more than 70 seconds.
Steichen said things didn’t flow well, according to Colts.com.
“I feel like there's a lot of stuff that I wanted to get called that I felt good about in the pass game, and we just weren't efficient doing it,” Steichen said. “And it starts with me.”
Steichen enjoyed a long string of success through the first eight games. But the Colts have lost two of their last three contests. And the end-of-season schedule looks tough. They have Houston twice, the Jaguars twice, and also games against the Seahawks and 49ers.
Better late-game management would be a starting point, according to USA Today.
“Anytime you have three-and-outs, and you’re not moving the ball efficiently, it’s gonna be hard for anyone to win football games,” Steichen said. “And we got to be better. I got to be better. Obviously very frustrating, not up to our standards today.”
Are the Colts living in reality?
It seems like the Colts have entered denial territory for this loss. Teams that have already won something can say a loss like this could be a good thing, a shakeup. But how does a team still trying to prove itself take that stance? Still, Charvarius Ward did just that, according to ESPN.
“We needed a game like this, a hard-fought game, an old-time game against a Super Bowl team,” said Ward, who returned Sunday from a four-game stint on injured reserve. “I think we're a Super Bowl-contending team, too, as well. So, we needed this type of game for sure.”
Linebacker Zaire Franklin had a more reasonable take. He gave the Chiefs credit and said the Colts have room to improve.
“[The Chiefs] made championship-level plays, and we've got to be better if we're going to be the type of team we want to be this year,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said.
“The reality of the situation is we're going to play high-level teams, and the game's going to come down to two-minute [situations] at the end of the game. So, anytime you've got an opportunity to play against a great quarterback, great coach in those types of environments, obviously, you want to win. But you want to come out from it, learning from it and growing from it.”
The good news for the Colts (8-3) is that they remain in first place in the AFC South. However, their once-solid lead has slipped to one game over the Jaguars and two games over the surging Texans.
