5 Reasons Colts HC Shane Steichen Will Succeed

Shane Steichen has a great opportunity to restore the Indianapolis Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts haven’t put together the best performances in recent seasons. After failing to make the playoffs with a dynamic team in 2021 (ended 9-8) and following it up with a disastrous 2022 (4-12-1), it’s easy to see why fans are excited for a fresh start.

With a mind like new head coach Shane Steichen commanding the team, it brings interesting projections for what his influence and experience could do for a young and talented roster. Despite being raw on many accounts as a whole, Steichen has a chance to prove many doubters wrong and right the ship to forget the previous seasons that led to multiple letdowns.

For this article, I’ll break down five reasons that Steichen has a great chance to turn things around and bring a winning attitude back into Lucas Oil Stadium. To start will be the youth movement in Indianapolis.

Reason 1: Young & Vibrant Roster

Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

While it’s true that Steichen will mostly be focusing on offense, the defense will also be covered for this entry.

After hauling an incredible 12 new names from the 2023 NFL draft, Steichen now has his first head coaching gig with one of the youngest rosters in the league. Even when looking outside of the draft itself, this is still a team that will need experience and has youth all over.

For the offense, Steichen will have bright spots galore. Quarterback Anthony Richardson (rookie), running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receivers Alec Pierce, Josh Downs (rookie), and Michael Pittman Jr. are some names that stick out right away.

There is also a potentially dangerous tight end group featuring notables like Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson, and Will Mallory (rookie), among others. The offensive line is also still relatively young, with center Ryan Kelly being the only blocker that is 30 years or older.

For the defense, high-potential players like defensive ends Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, and the newly acquired Samson Ebukam command the edge and could make a big impact. For the interior, mainstays like DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart will be there, but they are more veterans than the rest of the starting defense.

Behind them at linebacker are Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, and Shaquille Leonard; a group that, if Leonard is healthy, is arguably one of the best corps in the league.

Lastly, the secondary is truly raw with rookies JuJu Brents, Darius Rush, and Jaylon Jones having the chance to not only play live snaps but have serious starting time defensively. Along with them will be safeties Rodney Thomas II, Julian Blackmon, and Nick Cross, all of which are 25 or younger.

It must be stated that many of these players are yet to fully prove themselves, or take their first NFL snap. But, with the potential that this young roster is showing and the new feel that Steichen is bringing, it could be one of the more talented teams in the next few years if everything works out.

Reason 2: Richardson’s Ceiling

James Boyd/The Athletic

This is a quick one, but a golden reason that cannot be overstated. Richardson has arguably the highest ceiling of any QB drafted in recent memory. Some will say it’s the zenith.

There will be growing pains should Richardson get to start in 2023. While it’s assumed, it’s also not guaranteed that he’ll be ready. His processing mentally will have a massive part to play with that.

Richardson’s strengths go nearly hand-in-hand with Steichen’s philosophies and offensive style. With the use of a mobile QB, a potent ground attack, and a dangerous vertical element in the passing game, Steichen could launch Richardson’s potential through the roof.

It’s been said before that Steichen and Indianapolis match Richardson’s strong attributes potentially better than any other team. They will all have a chance to shine and take advantage of this massive opportunity.

Reason 3: Offensive-Minded Coaching Staff

Michael Conroy | Associated Press

When Steichen was hired it was evident that he wanted to center the staff he assembled around Richardson’s development. Enter Colts offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and QB coach Cam Turner.

JBC has been in the league coaching since 2009, when he joined the Colts as an offensive assistant, staying until 2011. 

Since then, he’s been a quality control coordinator (Kansas City Chiefs 2012), offensive assistant (Denver Broncos 2013), QB coach (Detroit Lions 2014-2015), offensive coordinator (Lions 2015-2018), running backs coach (New York Jets 2019-2020), a team consultant (Philadelphia Eagles 2021), and a passing game coordinator (Jacksonville Jaguars 2022). 

Needless to say, JBC’s experience tells all you need to know about why Steichen brought him in.

As for the QB coach, Turner has worked with NFL talent in the NFC for the past few seasons. He was with the Carolina Panthers as a WR coach from 2015-2016, followed by three years as the assistant QB coach for Cam Newton.

After departing from Carolina, he would go to the Arizona Cardinals as an offensive assistant (2018), offensive assistant/assistant QB coach (2019-2020), QB coach (2021), and co-pass game coordinator/QB coach (2022). During these years Turner would be a big part of the development of star signal-caller Kyler Murray.

Both Newton and Murray are similar to Richardson with their big arm and mobility.

These two minds mixed with Steichen are simply the icing on the cake for a young talent like Richardson to blossom.

Reason 4: A Superstar RB

Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Another simple but effective reason, Steichen has a talent in the backfield that he’s never had before in Taylor.

Taylor’s work has spoken for itself. What’s more important to note is that Steichen can do a lot of damage with a player like Taylor toting the pill, or even being on the field at all.

Taylor’s ability to create lighting-quick cuts that could buckle would-be tacklers is something he wants to mix with both Richardson’s running ability, and the notion to attack vertically for those “explosive plays.”

After seeing the damage that Taylor did with a Carson Wentz-led squad in 2021, it’s enticing to see how he could fare when paired with the most athletic prospect ever taken at QB and a running back committee that is very interesting. Not to say Richardson can’t do well without a back like Taylor, but it sure helps a lot with his early training to get up to NFL speed.

Reason 5: Steichen Can Build Off of 2022 Easily

Robert Scheer-USA TODAY Sports

This reason is more unique than the others. However, when any team misses the post-season with a good squad only to follow up that year with a much worse performance, like in 2022, Steichen’s only direction to go is up.

To avoid driving home another factoid about how bad Indianapolis was in 2022, we’ll discuss the impact Steichen’s new system could have on the recovering team.

The offensive line struggled mightily with a statue-like Matt Ryan holding the football in the pocket. While their blocking efficiency left much to be desired, it didn’t help that Ryan was likely over the hill, and former head coach Frank Reich didn’t vary playcalling as much as it was needed. Now, both of these will be far different.

Richardson can escape a pocket if the blocking wears down, which will help the offensive line as a whole. Whether it’s the interior or edge of the o-line, having mobility is a blessing compared to it being non-existent.

Also, the aforementioned vertical element of the passing attack will keep secondaries and linebackers guessing, rather than knowing. With the Reich offense in 2022, it was simple: “Ryan isn’t moving, and if Taylor is in the game, he’s likely the focal point.”

This allowed defenses to tee off on both players, making life hard for the protection. With this being the opposite of what could happen in 2023, it will likely lead to a big bounce-back from the offensive line due to how abysmal 2022 was.

To keep a defense guessing is arguably one of the most important parts of moving the football effectively. Steichen has the players to make this happen and an offensive line that might not be as regressed as some may think. 

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