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Stephen HolderESPN
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts interim coach Jeff Saturday, in a reversal from his postgame feedback on Monday evening, mentioned Tuesday that he had regrets in regards to the group’s dealing with of a late-game state of affairs in a 24-17 loss to the Steelers.
Saturday declined to name a timeout earlier than a key third-down play, opting to stay with a predetermined playcall the group had dialed up. The Colts have been hoping to catch the Steelers in a suboptimal personnel grouping that will have given themselves a bonus.
Finally, the Colts struggled to get lined up shortly, permitting the clock to roll and giving the Steelers an opportunity to regroup. Pittsburgh stuffed operating again Jonathan Taylor for no achieve on the third-and-3 play from the 26-yard line with 30 seconds left.
“I want I had that third down again and, in all honesty, want I would used the timeout,” Saturday mentioned. “Simply it on movie … from a time perspective, I felt good. However you would inform we have been in disarray. I simply did not have an incredible really feel.”
A part of that disarray, Saturday mentioned, was the fact that the third-down playcall required the extensive receivers to line up in numerous spots than the earlier play. By the point that obtained sorted out, the play clock was ticking down.
The complete scenario put Saturday and new playcaller Parks Frazier below a microscope as each males have been of their third video games of their new roles. Former coach Frank Reich, who was fired final month, was beforehand the Colts’ playcaller.
“It is a studying expertise,” Saturday mentioned.
The Colts had all three of their timeouts remaining earlier than the third-down play. With the Colts trailing by seven, the ball was snapped with 34 seconds remaining. Meaning 25 seconds elapsed between the earlier snap and the time the Colts obtained round to snapping the ball on third down. That wasn’t what the group had in thoughts. The intent, Saturday mentioned, was to play with a faster tempo in that scenario to make the most of the protection maybe being caught off-guard.
“That is on me [not] understanding, what personnel is within the recreation, what formations we have been in, and guys getting again to their pure positions of the place they’re gonna line up.
“I used to be like, ‘Man, let’s go get this primary down actually fast. Hold them on their heels with out substitution.’ … I assumed we had the benefit, however sadly, we should always have hit the timeout, give us our greatest play, finest alternative.”
“I want I had that third down again and, in all honesty, want I would used the timeout. Simply it on movie … from a time perspective, I felt good. However you would inform we have been in disarray. I simply did not have an incredible really feel.”
Jeff Saturday
Among the many Colts’ considerations was the Steelers probably altering to a heavier-personnel grouping for the short-yardage scenario. On the earlier play, a second-and-17, the Steelers have been in a pass-defense posture, dropping six males into protection.
However the lengthy delay between snaps allowed the Steelers to regroup and, it appears, get a superb learn on the Colts’ intentions. Pittsburgh outdoors linebacker Alex Highsmith mentioned he might sense from the Colts’ formation that the play was prone to be a run. As quickly because the ball was snapped, Highsmith darted inside, by no means trying to hurry across the edge. The surprising inside transfer caught rookie tight finish Jelani Woods without warning, permitting Highsmith to simply make the deal with on Taylor.
The Colts tried a move to Parris Campbell on the following fourth down that was incomplete, and the Steelers took possession and ran out the clock.
Different elements outdoors the failure to name a timeout additionally affected the scenario. Quarterback Matt Ryan’s resolution to provide himself up on the second-down play did not assist. Ryan resourcefully escaped the pocket and scrambled for 14 yards. However he dived wanting the first-down marker quite than tackle two defenders in entrance of him. Had the Colts achieved a primary down on the play, they nearly definitely would have referred to as a timeout and would have proceeded in another way.
The Colts gamers themselves additionally might have used extra of a way of urgency on the ultimate possession. A scarcity of focus might need contributed to the “disarray” that Saturday noticed whereas watching the movie.
