When teams are in a bad place, there are signs. Players will post cryptic messages on social media, and coaches will find a buzz response to say and just repeat it over and over.
The Indianapolis Colts are in a bad place after losing to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, 21-13. The game was filled with head-scratching moments. Joe Flacco got the start after the benching of second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, and despite the veteran struggling, Richardson never got back into the game.
That wasn’t shocking, but the Colts’ usage of star RB Jonathan Taylor was. It felt like consistently on key third and fourth downs in the fourth quarter, Taylor was on the sidelines watching backup Trey Sermon getting snaps. The offensive line couldn’t keep Flacco upright late in the game either, but Steichen refused to go with the more mobile quarterback who had a better chance of …