Garfield hates Mondays. If he was the coach of a struggling NFL team, he would absolutely despise this upcoming one. “Black Monday” is the day after the regular season in which NFL coaches learn their fate. Every year, there are surprises. Some coaches who should be fired somehow skate by while others who get released don’t appear to have gotten a fair shot. Shane Steichen has had a go for three years now. The results are inescapable. Will it be enough to keep his job?
Steichen is on the verge of turning in his second straight season of 8-9. Not only is that below .500, it also marks a complete free fall this season as the Colts have lost six straight. The best season turned in was his first in which he successfully pivoted from Anthony Richardson to Gardner Minshew and got the team to within a few plays of a division title. Things were looking solid his first year, and there was reason for optimism. The man who helped develop Jalen Hurts into a Super Bowl champion quarterback had a similar lump of clay in front of him in Richardson. He just had to mold it.
The Richardson experiment appears to have been a severe miscalculation by Chris Ballard, however, as Steichen threw in the towel with a season’s worth of games from which to evaluate. Speculation points to more than on the field reasons for Steichen’s decision, but nevertheless, he couldn’t make it work. What’s even more concerning is how the Colts will end this season. Losing in Houston, as they are expected to do, would drop them below .500 on a seven game losing streak after being on top in the AFC. There weren’t sufficient adjustments after the bye and throughout the season, questionable decisions were made from a game management perspective.
It could be argued that Steichen hasn’t been dealt the best hand during his three year stint, and Carlie Irsay-Gordon might recognize that. She and her sisters just inherited the team. There is a solid chance they want things to settle before making major moves. While Steichen isn’t a bottom feeder coach, new ownership seems to be his best chance at retaining his position. Then again, Irsay-Gordon didn’t hire him, so she might not be too attached.
Shane Steichen’s future is truly up in the air. Most people won’t be surprised or overly hurt if it goes either way. The current prediction is that he survives this round of “Black Monday”. Steichen’s fourth year won’t be without question marks as the roster could see some turnover, but this will be a make or break year. A “make” season sees the Colts make the playoffs at the very least. A “break” season will see Steichen fall victim to “Black Monday” if he even makes it that far.
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