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Ivory CoastSteichen Explains Late Game Decisions After Tough Overtime Loss to Kansas City
Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen stood by his late-game playcalling and decision to defer the coin toss in Sunday's 33-30 overtime defeat.
The Critical Decisions in Overtime
Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen is defending his late-game decisions after a tough 33-30 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night. The game came down to a series of high stakes choices in the extra period.
With 4:50 remaining in overtime, quarterback Daniel Jones completed a 50 yard pass to receiver Laquon Treadwell. That big play put the Colts at the Kansas City 17 yard line while trailing 30-27.
Instead of passing, Steichen called two consecutive running plays for Jonathan Taylor. The runs lost a total of 3 yards. Steichen rejected any idea that he was playing too safe. He said he wanted to finish the game with Taylor holding the ball.
The Fourth Down Dilemma
The lost yardage set up a third and 13. Jones was forced out of the pocket and ran for 5 yards before safety Jaden Hicks pushed him out of bounds. That left the Colts facing a fourth and 8.
Steichen revealed he was prepared to go for the win on fourth down if the Chiefs gave them the right defensive look. A touchdown would have ended the game under league rules.
During a timeout, Steichen told Jones, "If you love it, man, let's go at it. Let's go win this thing. But if it's not the right look ... let's kick the field goal here." Ultimately, the Chiefs did not show a favorable coverage. The Colts took a delay of game penalty and kicked the field goal to tie the match.
Defensive Struggles and the Coin Toss
Kicking the field goal put a tired Colts defense back on the field. The unit has struggled early this season, giving up 1,029 yards over the first two games. Injuries also hurt the defense, as cornerback Charvarius Ward left with a groin injury and cornerback Sauce Gardner played through a rib injury.
The Chiefs took advantage, driving down the field to win on a 40 yard Harrison Butker field goal as time expired.
Steichen also defended his choice to defer after winning the overtime coin toss. He wanted the advantage of knowing what his team needed to do on their possession. He noted that if they went first, Patrick Mahomes would get four downs on the ensuing drive. Steichen said, "It could go either way in those situations."
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