Source: Michael Hickey / Getty
By now, the 4th down decision made by Shane Steichen which ultimately ended the Colts season has been discussed ad nauseum.
The dropped pass from Gardner Minshew to 3rd-string running back Tyler Goodson has raised numerous questions; mainly, why throw to your 3rd-string back who has barely played, while your highly paid All-Pro running back who has been dominating the game sits on the sideline. The play-call itself worked; Goodson was open. The biggest question seems to be regarding the personnel decisions for that play.
While that play is ultimately the one that will be talked about for the entire offseason, it is also not the only reason the Colts lost.
During Tuesday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to Brad Spielberger of PFF, who gave his thoughts on the 4th down call and what other issues led to the Colts loss.
“I mean, the play call worked. The guy got open, it was not a good throw from Minshew, and obviously Goodson still could have caught it, but for me the bigger issue was using the timeout just before that. You needed that 3rd timeout, [because] you did get the ball back. You would have had more time to have a last drive, get out of bounds, sustain the clock on that one. Some of the game management, some punts and that time out was actually the bigger mishap on my end from Steichen.”
There’s no doubt that the failed 4th down will live in the memory of Colts fans until next season begins. However, between the timeout Steichen burned as well as some of his game management, along with missed passed by Minshew that will be overshadowed by the drop on 4th down, there are plenty of reasons the Colts lost. All of them make the defeat, and the end of the season, sting that much more.
Listen to JMV’s full conversation with Brad Spielberger of PFF down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
