The Jeff Saturday experiment with the Indianapolis Colts isn’t going so well.
Granted, Saturday had his team prepared and playing hard at the beginning of their first game coming off the bye week. But the second half against the Minnesota Vikings was the polar opposite on December 17, and now the team will go down in the record books as blowing the biggest lead in NFL history.
That’s not exactly what Saturday hoped to put on his coaching resume for January when he figures to be a permanent candidate for head coach in Indianapolis. This black mark on his record could even be a deal breaker.
It appears to be for one NFL analyst, Brett Coleman of “The Film Room.” During the middle of Minnesota’s historic comeback, Kollmann tweeted that if the Colts blew their 33-point lead, then there should be no doubt about Saturday’s job status come January.
Kollmann also identified who should be Indianapolis’ top candidate for its head coach opening.
If the Colts blow a 33-0 lead, they might as well extend their offer sheet to DeMeco Ryans before they even get on the plane.
Saturday, Colts Drop Fourth Straight
Thanks in part to a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and pick-six, the Colts jumped out to a 33-0 lead by halftime.
Indianapolis ran the ball five straight times inside the Minnesota 30-yard line and then kicked a field goal to end the first half. The conservative play calling seemed appropriate with already a 30-point lead. The field goal gave the Colts a 5-possession lead.
But no one will remember how well Saturday had his team prepared in the first half because of the collapse. The Colts offense remained conservative in the third and fourth quarters, giving the Vikings plenty of chances with the ball.
Indianapolis possessed the ball for just 10 minutes and 39 seconds on its first five possessions of the second half.
While the Colts offense sputtered, the team’s defense fell apart. The Vikings racked up 224 yards while scoring touchdowns on three straight drives in the third and beginning of the fourth quarter.
Indianapolis’ defense recorded an interception with 8:09 left in the fourth quarter while still up by 15 points. But that still didn’t put Minnesota away.
The ensuing possession for the Colts lasted under a minute. The Vikings then added two more touchdowns on their final three drives and scored a two-point conversation to force overtime.
The loss dropped Saturday to 1-4 as Colts interim head coach. While Indianapolis has been mostly competitive with him at the helm, the Colts have been outscored 83-9 in the fourth quarter with Saturday as head coach.
In Saturday’s four losses, opponents have outscored the Colts 77-3 in the fourth quarter, including 55-0 in the past two defeats.
DeMeco Ryans Should Be on Indianapolis’ Coaching Candidates List?
If Colts owner Jim Irsay is convinced his next head coach should be a highly regarded former player, he could find one with more NFL coaching experience in Ryans.
A two-time Pro Bowl linebacker, Ryans has quickly become one of the top defensive coordinators in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers. He has served in that role the past two years, and this season, the 49ers are ranked first in yards and points allowed. They are also the top run defense in the league and ranked sixth in takeaways.
Ryans has spent his entire NFL coaching career under Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. He started as a defensive quality control coach in 2017 and then served as inside linebackers coach for three seasons. In 2021, he replaced Robert Saleh, who left to become the New York Jets head coach, as defensive coordinator.
As of Week 15 this season, Ryans has the 49ers defense playing so well, San Francisco has remained a Super Bowl candidate despite two long-term injuries at quarterback.
There should be lots of quality candidates for the Colts to consider for head coach this offseason, and it’s difficult to tell which direction the organization may go. But with San Francisco’s performance on defense this season, it would be surprising not to see Ryans among the list of candidates for Indianapolis.
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Colts Called to Replace Jeff Saturday Following Epic Collapse