INDIANAPOLIS – There is no specific Shane Steichen offense.
Nope, that would be too constricting and keep the Colts from achieving one of Steichen’s biggest beliefs.
Catering to player’s strengths and making sure the respective systems enhance those is what Steichen wants to be about offensively.
Yes, the Colts will be aggressive. Yes, they will look more modern. And yes, things are going to be change based off the opponent.
“My philosophy on offense is this – and it’s going to look different each week. My philosophy is we’re going to throw to score points in this league and run to win,” Steichen said. “We’re going to throw to score points and run to win. Now, that can look different each week. Sometimes I’ve went into games saying we’re going to throw it a bunch and then we end up running it 45 times. Flow is going to dictate that. I know we have some pieces in place to get that done and we should be ready to roll.”
While Steichen is busy assembling a staff, he will not be having any internal debate on whether or not he’ll call plays.
That was something Steichen confirmed at his opening presser.
Steichen has called plays in the NFL in each of the past four seasons (2019-interim play caller with Chargers, 2020-full time play caller with Chargers, 2021-interim play caller with Eagles, 2022-full time play caller with Eagles).
He’s done that with three very different styles/ages of quarterback in Philip Rivers (2019), Justin Herbert (2020) and Jalen Hurts (2021-22). It’s something Norv Turner, Steichen’s mentor, points out as a huge strength in Steichen being adaptable.
Whoever is under center for the Colts in 2023 will have a massive impact in the plays Steichen dials up this fall.
“The offense is going to be dictated on who’s playing quarterback. That’s how you build the system,” the 37-year-old Steichen says. “What does he do well? What is their strength?
“But not only the quarterback, it’s the players too. What does (Michael) Pittman Jr. run well receiver wise? The tight ends, the backs, Jonathan Taylor, the offensive line, what do they do well? We want to do a hell of a job of trying to put our guys in position to make plays.”
Again though, so much of what the Colts offense will look like is going to depend on that looming quarterback draft pick.
“Being around Philip (Rivers), he was already in the system for so many years and he was an established quarterback, so, we continued to do what he did well when I was the coordinator there for half the season with him and being his quarterbacks coach for a while,” Steichen shared. “Then having Justin as a rookie, really these guys come in from college and it’s like, ‘Hey, what are they doing well in college and how can we adapt that to our game offensively and build around his strengths?’ Then same thing with Jalen (Hurts) over the past two years and building that thing with him. What are his strengths, what does he do well? And he does a lot well. He’s a hell of a football player and I was very, very fortunate to be around him the last two years.”
How Steichen manages calling plays and being a head coach will be a huge storyline to his success in Indy.
Nick Sirianni gave up those play-calling duties mid-way through his first-year as head coach. Now, unlike Steichen, Sirianni didn’t walk into his first head-coaching job with previous play-calling experience.
Steichen handling/delegating all of those responsibilities will be one of many challenges the respected bright mind will face at the highest of professional football levels.
Jim Irsay sensed some “offensive magic” from Steichen and knows his organization needed a jolt on the side of the ball that is mattering the most in today’s NFL.
“His offensive mind and feel for calling a game is elite,” Philip Rivers says. “He has great passion for the game and love for the players. The Colts got a heck of a coach and person.”