One by one, the Indianapolis Colts took responsibility for their many mistakes on Sunday.
Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. regretted showing his frustration on the field. Rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell explained that he didn’t see Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto when he threw a risky lateral pass to quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Running back Jonathan Taylor apologized to his teammates for dropping the ball — both literally and figuratively.
The explanations continued on Monday when coach Shane Steichen told reporters that he was responsible for the mistakes that led to the tough 31-13 loss to Denver.
“It comes down to consistency and it starts with myself,” Steichen said. “We’ve got to be consistent in everything we do. We’ve got to take care of the football moving forward because I thought our defense played a heck of a game.”
However, the ongoing inconsistency might cost the Colts (6-8) a chance at the playoffs.
Indianapolis hasn’t won two games in a row for two months. While some mistakes are expected from a second-year quarterback like Richardson, his performance has been unpredictable, sometimes even from one play to the next.
On Sunday, it wasn’t just Richardson’s two interceptions or Mitchell’s risky pass, which Bonitto turned into a game-changing touchdown. Steichen also blamed himself for trying to spark the team with a play call that put Mitchell in a difficult situation.
“It was there pretty much until (No.) 15 (Bonitto) turned into Ed Reed,” Mitchell said, referring to the Hall of Fame safety known for making plays like that.
The Colts had five turnovers in the game, including a rare fumble lost by Pittman, which led to a field goal for Denver. Taylor will never forget the one where he dropped the ball before crossing the goal line.
Instead of giving the Colts a 20-7 lead, the touchdown was wiped off the board, and Denver got the ball back because the ball went out of bounds for a touchback.
“We’ve talked about those (situations),” Steichen said, referring to similar issues that have happened around the league this season. “We talk about letters and logos (in the end zone) and finishing through the end.”
With three games left and Indianapolis two games out of the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot — and behind the Broncos in tiebreakers — Sunday’s loss could determine if the Colts make it to the postseason.
