Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen chose the safe play in overtime Sunday night.
asserted
Steichen → choose → overtime
After deciding to start overtime by kicking off, holding the Chiefs to a field goal and then moving inside the Chiefs 20-yard line, Steichen made three conservative play calls before settling for the tying field goal and giving two-time league MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes one last chance to win the game.
Naturally, he did.
asserted
he → decide → game
Mahomes quickly moved Kansas City (2-0) into position for Harrison Butker’s 40-yard field goal as time expired for a second straight overtime loss at Arrowhead Stadium.
asserted
time → move → Stadium
Afterward, Steichen explained he wanted the Colts’ top offensive playmaker, Jonathan Taylor, to close out the game.
asserted
playmaker → explain → game
“We were trying to score there,” Steichen said Monday.
asserted
Steichen → try → ?
“The thought process was J.T. there on that, we had four downs and then you had the second down situation.
asserted
you → have → situation
I thought we could pop a run, get it to third-and-manageable and then, you know, you have two downs to go for it.
uncertain
you → think → it
It didn’t work out in that situation, and any time you don’t get the results you want, obviously, you second-guess things.”
asserted
you → work → things
Steichen considered going for the winning touchdown on fourth-and-8 from the Chiefs 15.
asserted
Steichen → consider → Chiefs
He kept the offense on the field, hoping to get a favorable look from Kansas City’s defense, and when it didn’t happen, Indy took a delay of game penalty and kicked the 38-yard field goal with 3:11 to go.
asserted
Indy → keep → 3:11
Mahomes responded by doing what he does best — producing game-winning drives.
asserted
he → respond → drives
The result: Indy (0-2) extended the league’s longest active losing streak to nine, and the decisions won’t help Steichen’s stock in a season team co-owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has described as critical for Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard.
asserted
Gordon → extend → Steichen
Some Colts fans compared it to Steichen’s decision to punt from his 40 on the first possession of overtime last November at Kansas City.
asserted
fans → compare → City
Mahomes did the same thing then, leading the Chiefs on an 87-yard drive to set up Butker’s 27-yard game winning kick.
asserted
Mahomes → do → kick
But whether it was last season or Sunday night, Steichen did what he thought was right and he didn’t back down from those decisions Monday.
asserted
he → do → decisions
“It’s a results-based, a results-driven league and if you don’t get the results you want, obviously, you’re going to look back on some things that didn’t go your way,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → things
“That’s part of it, that’s the NFL.
asserted
that → ’ → it
So in those situations, we’ve just got to go out and do our job the best we can do, to go find a way to win.
asserted
we → get → way
”
What’s working
Josh Downs.
asserted
What → work → Downs
Taylor had another terrific game with 132 total yards rushing and two TD runs, but Downs delivered while being pressed into the No. 1 receiver’s role because of Alec Pierce’s heal injury.
asserted
Downs → have → injury
Downs caught seven of the nine passes thrown his way for 72 yards and helped give the offense some much-needed balance.
asserted
Downs → catch → balance
What needs help
Tackling.
asserted
needs → need → help
Indy has given up 74 points in its first two games and has allowed more than 500 yards in each game, which ranks among the worst in league history.
asserted
which → give → history
The problem in Week 1 seemed to be misalignments in part because safety Camryn Bynum was the on-field play-caller.
asserted
Bynum → seem → field
The problem Sunday night, they needed extra tacklers to corral RBs Kenneth Walker III and Emmett Johnson or TE Travis Kelce.
asserted
they → need → III
The receiver nearly became the goat of the game when he appeared to fumble a 48-yard completion that the Chiefs recovered.
asserted
Chiefs → become → that
But a replay review overturned the fumble and nearly turned Treadwell into the hero.
asserted
review → overturn → hero
He had a 10-yard reception on Indy’s first TD drive and drew a 26-yard pass interference penalty to set up a field goal.
asserted
He → have → goal
The six-time Pro Bowler finished with just one reception for 5 yards despite being targeted five times.
asserted
Bowler → finish → yards
Allen failed to wrestle the ball away from Kristian Fulton on Indy’s second series, which led to a Chiefs TD.
asserted
which → fail → TD
He also failed to catch two third down passes.
asserted
He → fail → passes
Pierce did not return after leaving in the first half, and Steichen said Monday that the X-rays came back negative, but that he did aggravate something in the same leg he had ankle surgery in March.
asserted
he → return → March
CB Charvarius Ward left in the second half with groin tightness, but Steichen said he would know more about Ward’s availability later this week.
asserted
he → leave → availability
Key number
191 — The Colts defense has allowed 1,029 yards through games — 191 yards more than every team other than the Detroit Lions, who have allowed 915 yards this season.
asserted
who → allow → yards
Carolina ranks 30th with 838 yards, entering Monday.
asserted
Carolina → rank → Monday
Next steps
The offense and special teams looked markedly better in Week 2, and the defense also improved despite giving up so much yardage against yet another league MVP.
asserted
defense → look → MVP
But it’s still not good enough.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Indy must continue to work on the basics — tackling, coverage and proper alignments — to avoid yet another loss against the winless Texans.
asserted
Indy → continue → Texans
The Aporia
