The Indianapolis Colts lost 30-20 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 10. They have now lost three straight games, and even after a quarterback change, things have not looked positive for the team.
Joe Flacco struggled against the Bills and after the game, team captain Kenny Moore II raised questions on the work ethic of the players around him.
Pat McAfee Delivers Verdict on Colts
Former Colts punter Pat McAfee was visibly upset after hearing Moore’s comments. He went on a lengthy rant on “The Pat McAfee Show” and urged the franchise to start over, as the current players and front office personnel have been disappointing for years.
Kenny Moore II with some strong comments in the locker room postgame:
"I don't think everybody is working as hard as possible, and obviously it's showing."
"Year to year, it's the same thing."#Colts @WTHRcom pic.twitter.com/Kw47Gb61tk
— Dominic Miranda (@DomMirandaTV) November 10, 2024
McAfee also apologized to Anthony Richardson after criticizing the Colts quarterback for tapping out of a game a few weeks ago. After that incident, Richardson was benched in favor of Flacco.
“Get them all and get the f*** out, see ya,” McAfee said. “Pay off all their contracts, see ya, congrats; you robbed us, you stole from us. This group got us the No. 4 overall pick; this group has been through so many different things; this group has had to deal now with a bunch of different quarterbacks, too.
“So, this group probably feels a little bit like, this is our NFL experience? … Somebody needs to tell them you still get to be in the NFL, you don’t have to be in the NFL. So AR, I apologize for being so loud about you tapping out, which no NFL quarterback has never, ever done in the history, ever. It’s not good to have that happen for your team, but now I’m starting to think, like, has anybody told AR how he is supposed to be?”
This is Chris Ballard’s eighth season as the Colts’ general manager. The franchise is 58-66 and has made the playoffs only twice during his tenure. The Colts have already fired a head coach that Ballard hired, Frank Reich, in 2022, who had a record of 40-33-1 with the team.
Shane Steichen is into his second year as the Colts head coach, and so far he has failed to improve things. Steichen’s decision to bench Richardson raised many eyebrows, but it could be possible that the front office forced him to do it.
Ballard is undoubtedly under pressure and could lose his job if the Colts miss out on the playoffs. As a result, he might have told Steichen to start Flacco, who, according to the team, gives them a better chance to win. However, it looks like the franchise has made the wrong decision so far. This has also diminished the young quarterback’s confidence, which could completely spoil the team’s future.
Joe Flacco Will Continue To Be the Colts’ Starting QB
The Colts are sticking with Flacco, and he will start for the team in Week 11 against the New York Jets. Indianapolis is 4-6 on the season and still has a decent chance to make the playoffs.
In his two starts after replacing Richardson, Flacco has thrown for 451 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions, completing 67.7% of his throws with a passer rating of 72.7. The Colts offense has looked pretty bad in their last two games, and the veteran quarterback has probably played worse than Richardson would have.
Steichen worked wonders with Gardner Minshew II last season, and the team finished with a record of 9-8, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. The Colts’ offense is averaging just 20.8 points per game this season, which is quite disappointing given how good of a play-caller their head coach is.
If the Colts lose to the Jets this week and Flacco continues to play badly, we might see the franchise go back to Richardson, which will be the right decision. Indianapolis was not a Super Bowl contender heading into the season, and it made no sense for them to move off a quarterback they drafted with the fourth overall pick last year.
Everyone knew Richardson was a project and it would take time for him to become a good quarterback. The Colts gave up on him after just 10 career starts and have completely botched their present and future. It will be intriguing to see which decisions Jim Irsay will make regarding the front office and the head coach once the season is over.