Colts Lose Primetime Slot After Disastrous Defeat

The Indianapolis Colts won't get another opportunity to be under the lights of primetime anytime soon.

Oct 20, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Shane Steichen reacts on the sidelines during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts (4-5) fell under the primetime lights on Sunday night to the Minnesota Vikings (6-2) by a score of 21-13. After Indy's head coach, Shane Steichen made the controversial quarterback switch of benching Anthony Richardson to learn from veteran Joe Flacco, the wheels fell off the offense at U.S. Bank Stadium last night. Due to such a disgusting showing that featured 227 total yards and 6 points mustered from the Flacco-led attack, the NFL has decided to flex out the Colts vs New York Jets Sunday Night Football game for a 1 pm start, instead. Now, the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers will fill that void.

🚨 WEEK 11 SCHEDULE FLEX 🚨

Bengals vs. Chargers will now be played at 8:20pm ET on NBC.

Colts vs. Jets will move to 1pm ET on CBS. pic.twitter.com/ue72zuR5Y9

— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Steichen is already receiving harsh criticism for starting Flacco and proclaiming that he gave the Colts the best shot to win. Flacco looked dazed and stiff in the pocket against the ultra-aggressive Brian Flores defense of Minnesota. Flacco was sacked three times and finished underwhelming as a passer with 16/27 completions for 179 yards, 0 scores, and an interception. In short, Flacco resembled Indy's 2022 version of Matt Ryan on Sunday night, which is haunting.

Also, due to Flacco's lack of mobility as a QB, running back Jonathan Taylor had one of his worst showings of 2024, notching a mere 48 rushing yards on 13 carries. If Indianapolis wants to be competitive and push for a postseason spot, they have to figure this out now or risk finishing with a losing record, let alone a Wild Card berth. The longer it takes for Flacco to get a win as the starter for the Colts the more pressure Steichen will feel to start Richardson again. Despite the second-year head coach declaring he's going with Flacco for the remainder of the campaign, the human mind can only take so much embarrassment. We'll see what happens as Indy's schedule gets no easier, with the red-hot Buffalo Bills coming to Lucas Oil Stadium in week 10.

---

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.