Key area where Colts' Shane Steichen has been among the best play callers

NFL analyst Warren Sharp took time recently to note just how good the Indianapolis Colts' offense has been under Shane Steichen at scripting plays.

Every offense begins each game with an opening script of 15-20 plays that's been put together after a week of film work. As noted in an article by Sumer Sports, scripted plays "are meant to build confidence, attack defensive weaknesses, and give the offense information about how the defense is treating specific looks to start the game."

Since taking over as the Colts' head coach and play caller in 2023, the Colts rank top three in points per drive in the first quarter -- when scripted plays are run -- scores per drive, and punts per drive, according to Sharp.

Other teams that rank near the top in these categories include San Francisco, LA Rams, and Detroit -- typically elite offenses. Sharp also adds that Steichen has accomplished this with largely inconsistent quarterback play.

"Shane Steichen has no business having his offense be up in that category with all the rest of those teams," Sharp said. "It is the brilliance of Shane Steichen that has this offense starting games so quickly."

This past year, through 10 games when Daniel Jones was healthy, Sharp adds that the Colts scored on 52% of their first-quarter possessions and found the red zone 60% of the time.

How good is that? The Colts' ability to reach the red zone on 60% of their first-quarter possessions is the second-best mark this century.

Sharp isn't the first analyst this offseason to praise Steichen's game-planning and play-calling abilities; long-time film guru Greg Cosell did as well.

Unfortunately, for Steichen and the Colts, this success hasn't translated into a postseason appearance during his tenure, and there are a variety of reasons for that. Indianapolis has also struggled to win down the stretch in those must-have games.

That said, Steichen's ability to script plays puts the Colts in a position to find success early most weeks, and that will often give them a fighting chance. These stats from Sharp also underscore why the Colts chose to largely run it back offensively for the 2026 season.

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Key area where Colts' Shane Steichen has been among the best play callers