The Indianapolis Colts were one of the great stories of the first half of the NFL season. The Colts rolled to 7 victories in their first 8 games, and they looked as though they might be able to compete with the elite teams in the AFC. However, head coach Shane Steichen has seen his team hit a wall, and after dropping a 20-16 decision at home to the Houston Texans, the Colts have lost three of their last four games.
There are many areas that Steichen can evaluate going forward, and the most obvious issue is that the Colts offense is no longer producing at the high rate it was during the first eight games.
However, there are other areas that are leading to significant problems for the team. That includes the performance of PK Michael Badgley. He missed a first quarter extra point for the Colts that would have enabled the team to go for a field goal late in the game because they would have trailed by three points. Badgley has been a dependable kicker throughout the majority of his career, but he has missed three extra points this season.
Those costly misses have gotten under Steichen's skin. The head coach has been a big fan of Badgley, but that does not mean his job is secure.
“I love Badge, but he knows he's got to make those kicks,” Steichen said. “So, we have faith in whoever we put out there.”
Colts have fallen into tie for first with Jaguars
If the Colts had been able to build off their performance in the first half of the season, they would probably lead the AFC South by multiple games. However, they are now tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for first place as both teams have 8-4 records. The Texans are also rolling, and they are just one game behind with a 7-5 record.
The Colts will try to get back on track in Week 14 when they meet the Jaguars in a first-place showdown in Jacksonville.
