The Indianapolis Colts had multiple ways to control their own destiny against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football in Week 2.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen gave those chances away, though.
And when all was said and done, the Colts lost 33-30 to the Chiefs on a Harrison Butker walk-off field goal.
There were so many important things that happened in the Sunday night game that mattered toward the final outcome.
It was hard to look at the end and not see mistakes made by Steichen, though.
Mistake 1: Overtime Coin Toss
NFL teams like to take the ball second in overtime. It allows them to know what the first team did, and then they can at minimum match it.
More often than not, that’s exactly the approach they take.
It’s what Steichen did. The Colts won the coin toss and opted to play defense first.
It’s actually flawed thinking, though.
Each team gets the ball, but if they have equal scores, then the first team gets it for a second time, and at that point its sudden death.
One team can possess the ball twice in overtime while the other only gets it one. It’s a clear disadvantage.
Sometimes the drives take too long and there isn’t a third drive.
But when there is, the team that gets the ball first benefits, and the Colts gave that opportunity to the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Mistake 2: Playing for the Tie
The Colts could’ve taken a risk when they had the ball in overtime.
They faced fourth-and-8 in the red zone, and there was 3:15 on the clock. The Chiefs led 30-27.
If the Colts kicked the field goal, almost certainly the best they were going to do was get a tie. The Chiefs were unlikely to surrender the ball back in those final three minutes.
And at worst, the Chiefs would use the aforementioned bonus possession and win the game.
The only chance the Colts really had to win the game on that fourth down was to go for it.
They lined up as if to run a play, but Steichen eventually called a timeout.
Spencer Shrader drained the field goal, but it became irrelevant only minutes later.
It’s not exactly the same as what the New Orleans Saints did in Week 1 OT — but they had the ball late and had scored a touchdown that would tie the game on an extra point. They instead went for 2 because they knew they likely would otherwise only tie, at best. It didn’t work, and the Saints lost, so there’s risk.
But there was risk with three minutes left and Patrick Mahomes on the other side for the Colts.
The eight yards on fourth down was far from a given. Steichen would’ve gotten criticized if the Colts had gone for it and failed.
Long-time NFL coach Herm Edwards, though, once said, “You play to win the game.”
On Sunday Night Football, Steichen played for the tie, and the Colts lost because of that approach.
2 Shane Steichen Mistakes Cost Colts Signature Win Vs. Chiefs