Congratulations: Indianapolis Colts coach Steichen win the Coach of the Year Award… See More…
There have been too many injuries to count for Indianapolis this season. However, it’s safe to say that they’ve sustained a high quantity.
Notable names that have struggled with injuries and are still out include:
There are several other injuries that have been sustained or are still keeping players sidelined. However, it hasn’t stopped Steichen and the team from winning. They’re already two wins higher than last season’s count, and there are still six games remaining. While a 6-5 record isn’t glamorous, given the situation last year, mixed with the injuries this year, it’s a massive accomplishment.
Yes, Steichen has a two-headed monster in RBs Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss to lean on. But, the ground game isn’t the lightning bolt it could be with Richardson, yet, these two rip off consistent gains for the offense.
It can be credited to both the resurgence of the offensive line with coach Tony Sparano Jr., as well as Steichen’s variety of run schemes.
Steichen is still able to get Minshew to perform well enough to complement the running attack and get wins. The winning record, most importantly, also puts Indy square in the playoff discussion.
Yes, there are still six games left to play. But, as of now, the Colts sit at the seventh seed in the AFC playoff bracket through 11 games.
With the aforementioned soft schedule ahead, the Colts have a golden chance to keep building on this three-game winning streak.
While teams like the Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans can be tough matchups, Steichen has already bested two of those teams (Titans and Texans) and with mostly Minshew under center. This could be a perfect sequence of games for Steichen to sneak his team into the playoffs.
If this can be done, it may be a unanimous decision that Steichen should win Coach of the Year. It’s fair that the Texans’ DeMeco Ryans, as well as the Denver Broncos’ Sean Payton, could be in the running.
But, it feels like Steichen’s situation has been far worse than either of those two, yet the Colts keep scoring and winning.
It will be a fun finish to the Coach of the Year race. Will someone start to potentially pull away with the award as 2023’s regular season draws to a close?
