-
Stephen HolderESPN
sometime after one among many Indianapolis Colts‘ worst offensive performances in current reminiscence, the staff fired fifth-12 months head coach Frank Reich.
The Colts’ 26-three loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday was their third straight defeat. It was the most current event of their deepening offensive challenges which may even be starting to look insurmountable regardless of a current quarterback change from Matt Ryan to Sam Ehlinger and final week’s firing of offensive coordinator Marcus Brady.
Reich, 60, was forty-33-1 (.547) inside the common season with a 1-2 file in two playoff appearances. It was a tenure outlined by incessant turnover at quarterback; The Colts had utterly different opening-day starters in every of Reich’s 5 seasons, as a end result of the franchise has struggled to discover a quarterback to fill the footwear of Andrew Luck, who retired earlier than the 2019 season. The tenures of the previous two — Carson Wentz and Ryan — led to ugly style (Wentz was traded after one season and Ryan benched after seven begins).
The Colts have been unraveling for the motive that finish of final season, when Indianapolis misplaced its closing two video games regardless of needing simply one victory to clinch a postseason berth. The 2021 finale, a 26-eleven loss to the three-14 Jacksonville Jaguars, was a very disagreeable efficiency that drew proprietor Jim Irsay’s ire and prompted him to recommit to fixing the factors that led to the poor finish.
finally, 2022 has not launched markedly utterly different outcomes.
Offensively, the Colts (three-5-1) are inside the worst sort of Reich’s tenure. After Sunday’s sport, the longtime NFL quarterback and super Bowl-worthwhile offensive coordinator with the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles alluded to the frustration of the Colts being so inept on offense, his space of expertise.
“Offensive efficiency, that is why i used to be launched right here. that is my accountability. So, we have gotten the gamers. we have gotten the gamers which may even be lots sufficient. i’ve to do a greater job. It begins with me on offense. I truly should do a greater job getting the blokes in a place to play, placing guys in an excellent place to win and having options after we face factors,” he mentioned.
recently, there have been no options.
The Colts did not convert any of their 14 third-down makes an try Sunday, tied for the worst single-sport mark inside the NFL beforehand 30 years. Indianapolis generated 121 yards of complete offense, the staff’s lowest output since 1997 and the backside of Reich’s tenure by eighty 4 yards.
Reich gained a status all by way of his time in Indianapolis for with the flexibility to convey the staff again from the brink. The Colts have been notoriously gradual starters, however they’ve persistently rallied late in seasons. The Colts started 1-5 in 2018 however accomplished 10-6 and made the playoffs. final season, they started 1-4 earlier than rallying to 9-6, solely to go on to these two fateful season-ending losses.
What stays unclear is the destiny of widespread supervisor Chris Ballard, the one who put the staff collectively and employed Reich.
0 Comments