Getty There was quite a reaction to how Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday used his timeouts at the end of a loss on Monday Night Football.
Jeff Saturday has been rather impressive to begin his tenure as interim head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. But he may have had his “welcome to the NFL moment” at the end of Monday Night Football in Week 12.
Colts quarterback Matt Ryan scrambled for 14 yards to the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-yard line on second-and-17. When Ryan got up to hand the ball to the official, there was about 50 seconds remaining on the clock.
Surprisingly, the Colts didn’t call a timeout despite having three to use. Instead, Indianapolis called a running play with Jonathan Taylor, who gained no yards on third-and-3.
Finally, the Colts called a timeout before fourth down, but the play was an incomplete pass down the sidelines. The game was over, and Indianapolis ended the second half with two timeouts remaining.
After the game, Saturday received criticism on Twitter for failing to use his timeouts on the game’s final drive.
We are going to hear all week about Jeff Saturday not being qualified for the job by not calling a timeout here
Is Jeff Saturday actually coaching? Matt Ryan here with a huge run on 2nd & 17 that’s short of the sticks with a winding clock should warrant some type of communication, no?! He’s not moving his mouth at all. Same thing after 3rd down. Just seems to be taking it in. Very strange.
Matt Ryan’s scramble happened with 59 seconds left, setting up a 3rd-and-3. Colts chose not to call a timeout after the play, but lost about 25 seconds of game time. Then they hurried a run for Taylor that went absolutely nowhere.
Bad, bad football in crunch time.
Maybe meaningful coaching experience does matter? t.co/gYDqcBMDAi
Still trying to figure out why Saturday didn’t use one of the three timeouts at his disposal after the Ryan scramble. Wasted more than 20 seconds, then ran JT for zilch.
Jeff Saturday saving timeouts with his team losing and clock bleeding out #Colts
Jeff Saturday having three timeouts and letting a minute bleed off the clock
Jeff Saturday saving his 3 timeouts for next week
Dan Campbell watching Jeff Saturday’s clock management:
Jeff Saturday watching the clock wind down on the Colts’ last drive
Jeff Saturday trying to manage the clock on the final drive
Jeff Saturday taking a page out of the Nathaniel Hackett game management coaching manual
Someone just told Jeff Saturday about timeouts.
Jeff Saturday with interesting views on timeout usage.
Saturday Explains Late Fourth Quarter Clock Management
After Ryan’s scramble, about 20 seconds rolled off the clock before the Colts completed their next play — a run for Taylor. Indianapolis called its first timeout after no gain on third down with 30 seconds remaining.
Saturday explained to the media during his postgame press conference that he was conserving his timeouts essentially because he didn’t think time was a major factor after Ryan’s scramble.
“I didn’t feel like time was really of the essence at the moment,” Saturday said. “I felt good about the call [on third down] before. I felt like we had time, we would have timeouts afterwards. We were in striking distance.
“I never felt the pressure of needing a timeout. Like I said, I thought the call was good.”
Saturday added that even had the team called a timeout, the play call on third down wasn’t going to change.
Rather than blaming how the team managed the clock in the final minute, Saturday said execution cost the Colts on the final drive. Taylor’s run of no gain was the first time in the fourth quarter he was stopped without any yards on a carry.
Should Ryan Have Called a Timeout?
One could argue, though, that because the clock was running, the offense rushed Taylor’s run on third down.
Ryan, one of the oldest starters and least mobile quarterbacks in the league, just ran for 14 yards on the previous play. The Colts offensive linemen were hustling to the line of scrimmage after Ryan’s scamper to run third down.
Perhaps a timeout in that moment to reset and take a breathe would have benefitted the Colts in that situation..
Saturday is receiving all the criticism for how the Colts managed the clock on the final drive in Week 12, but there are several former head coaches on the Indianapolis staff who could have suggested to Saturday the team needed a timeout. Ryan could have called a timeout himself too.
Instead, the veteran quarterback also cited execution as the bigger issue at the end of the game.
“The effort has been there, but the execution just hasn’t been good enough,” said Ryan.
Matt Ryan: “It’s disappointing. It really is. The effort has been there, but the execution just hasn’t been good enough.”