Shane Steichen must reverse these two trends to save his Colts job

Great leaders can augment the pieces given to them. For the Indianapolis Colts, head coach Shane Steichen has not yet proven he can be elite at his job. The positive is he could, and that could start in 2026. To reach success, though, he needs to change the narrative of two groups of numbers.

One is his record against teams with a winning record at the time Indy plays them. The other is the team's record when the offense scores 20 points or fewer. Steichen's level of success in both areas isn't just mediocre; it is awful.

Against winning teams, Steichen is just 7-22. His overall record is 25-26. This implies that he is a good enough coach to beat bad teams, but when the competition gets tougher, Indy fails. The sample size of the head coach's record against better teams is getting large enough that his inability to lead his team to success is becoming a fact, not just something to be dismissed.

The Indianapolis Colts desperately need Shane Steichen to reverse these two trends

Steichen should get credit for creating an offensive scheme that works, but as a head coach, he needs to make sure all areas of the team are good enough to win. That clearly hasn't been the case in three seasons. When the Colts score 20 points or fewer, Steichen is only 3-17.

Coupled with his record against winning teams, Shane Steichen looks like the kind of coach who lays a foundation for solid offensive production, but he isn't a good enough coach to adapt and adjust when his team faces teams with good coaching and leadership.

Truly good coaches wouldn't let that happen. No one should expect most coaches to have fantastic records against winning teams; however, some do. Having a win-loss percentage of .150 is unacceptable, no matter whether general manager Chris Ballard is giving him a talented enough roster or not.

Here is a key positive heading into the coming season, though. For the second straight season, Steichen has a quarterback capable of running his system well. The coach was initially stuck with Anthony Richardson, who is trending toward being a first-round bust. Last year, through the first half of the season, Daniel Jones proved that Steichen's plan can operate at a high level.

Jones isn't a great quarterback; at least he has never consistently shown that he is. But he doesn't need to be elite to make the scheme work either.

The defense should be faster and, assuming players stay healthier this season, will have more talent over the course of the season. A well-run offense and an improved defense, with special teams that are expected to be among the best in the NFL, should get the Colts to the playoffs. Once there, maybe Steichen can prove just how good a coach he can be.

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This article was originally published on horseshoeheroes.com as Shane Steichen must reverse these two trends to save his Colts job.