The Indianapolis Colts didn’t exactly play an inspiring Week 1.
They were blown out by the Baltimore Ravens, who ran and threw all over the Colts while Indy’s offense failed to keep up.
It’s the kind of defeat that can quickly take some hope out of the room.
The hope was that this season’s Colts could pick up where they left off from the early stages of last season before Daniel Jones got hurt.
The reality is that that might not be all that easy. Jones looked a lot more like early-career Jones than on-the-rise Jones.
That puts the spotlight on the people in charge with the Colts.
Shane Steichen hasn’t made the playoffs yet as the head coach.
Chris Ballard is well-respected but isn’t on the best run lately, either.
Both of them were question marks last offseason but they stuck around. Now, the questions will get louder.
Take this headline from The Athletic’s James Boyd:
“Chris Ballard, Shane Steichen shouldn’t feel safe after Colts fall flat in opener.”
Yep, the hot seat is getting warmer.
Colts Firing Rumors
The Colts started last season 8-2 before falling off and missing the playoffs entirely.
“So far, the sequel is off to a nightmarish start, and neither Ballard nor Steichen should feel safe after being at the helm of such an embarrassing showing,” Boyd wrote for The Athletic.
The Colts hadn’t given up this many points in a season-opening home game (41) since 1954, when they still played in Baltimore.
“The score got so out of hand that the Colts were booed by the fans at Lucas Oil Stadium, many of whom began exiting in the third quarter,” Boyd writes. “… How could a team that claims to have aspirations of contending for an AFC South title, which it hasn’t won since 2014, get caught sleepwalking?”
What’s Next for Shane Steichen, Chris Ballard?
There will be a lot of eyes on what Steichen and Ballard do from here.
Do the Colts bounce back? Do they keep finding ways to make the team better?
Those things will determine how long the head coach and general manager remain in Indianapolis.
“Steichen was adamant that one game won’t define the Colts’ season,” Boyd writes. “He’s right, though only to a degree. “Neither he nor Ballard has earned the benefit of the doubt. Not after what took place Sunday. Not after the constant letdowns during both of their tenures… It’s early, but their seats are already heating up.”
It is a fair assessment that the hot start to last season probably saved some jobs, because there was at least proof that these Colts could play at a great level.
But can these Colts reach that pinnacle? It’s hard to know, and it certainly didn’t happen on Sunday.
Steichen and Ballard will be hoping for better, and it won’t get easier in Week 2 when they play the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. All eyes in the football world will be watching.
Colts Firing Shane Steichen, Chris Ballard Looms as Idea After Week 1