Things have been relatively quiet for Jacksonville Jacksonville despite the fact that they're expected to clean house after the regular season ends. Heck, it looks like head coach Doug Pederson is resigned to his fate, acknowledging that Week 18 could be his last game with the Jags. The same cannot be said about the Indianapolis Colts, who are seemingly in a state of disarray.
"For a man who has never shied away from speaking his mind — be it on social media, in postgame scrums outside the locker room or in late-night calls to local reporters — Irsay has largely been invisible of late. No X posts of consequence. No state of the union videos from inside his office or outside his private jet. No mention of “all chips in,” probably because the chips were never really all-in to begin with."
Zak Keefer and James Boyd of The Athletic took a deep look at the Colts and how their season unfolded . They point out that owner Jim Irsay has been surprisingly quiet this season, which is noteworthy when you take into account that he likes the spotlight.
Later in the in-depth piece, The Athletic blames general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steinchen for their team's current state, pointing out that the former has struggled to consistently replenish the roster while the latter has failed to lead the team.
"But Ballard is no longer a young GM. And for Irsay, a man who’s always selling hope — in many respects, he’s the biggest Colts fan out there — there is little left. Fans are fed up, exhausted by false promises and underwhelming seasons. Ballard’s approach has grown stale. After a promising debut in 2023, head coach Shane Steichen regressed this year both as a play caller and franchise figurehead; his refusal to answer direct questions during news conferences created multiple PR messes."
What's a bit shocking about the Colts is that they were seemingly trending up in the right direction in 2023. While they failed to qualify for the postseason, they were close. It was expected that with an infusion of talent and the return of quarterback Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis would compete this season. That wasn't the case.
Indy still has several roster holes, and Richardson failed to make a leap. Add the fact that the team mismanaged his development and injuries, and nobody should be surprised about their regression. The issue is that it isn't just a thing but many. Steichen couldn't give straight answers to the press and he wasn't much better leading the team on the field.
Ballard, on the other hand, got off to a strong start to his stint leading the Colts front office, drafting foundational pieces Quenton Nelson, Shaquille Leonard, Braden Smith, and Zaire Franklin. Moreover, he got lots of widespread praise for cleaning the mess his predecessor, Ryan Grigson, left in the post-Peyton Manning era. However, he hasn't had as much success in recent years, and the roster is devoid of talent at several positions.
Now, Indianapolis finds itself at a crossroads ahead of the finale. Both Steichen and Ballard deserve to go, but Irsay may not want to pull the trigger. Otherwise, he would be conceding that both were bad choices, which would in turn make him look bad because he's the one who picked them and hyped them up.
The Jaguars must look at the Colts and avoid making the same mistakes
Following the 2020 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars thought that Urban Meyer would help them turn the corner and become a perennial contender. This made sense, in theory, when you look at his success in building college programs. But at the time, owner Shad Khan was so desperate that he failed to see all the red flags and baggage the head coach came with.
Ultimately, Meyer became responsible for arguably the most taxing season in team history. At least Khan realized he made a mistake and kicked him to the curb less than a year after hiring him instead of doubling down. However, he shouldn't have stopped. The owner should've also given general manager Trent Baalke the boot, but probably didn't because had just gotten the job.
Well, Baalke remains in place, and he's been a reason the Jaguars have failed to enjoy sustained success. His inability to get along with the coaching staff has certainly played a role in the team's struggles. Granted, Doug Pederson isn't free of fault. He has many flaws of his own, but it's fair to wonder how he would've fared if he had worked with a different general manager. Then again, it may not matter anymore.
What's important is that the Jacksonville Jaguars know what is like to suffer dysfunction, and if they want to avoid dealing with a situation like the one the Indianapolis Colts are currently experiencing, they'll need to find the right head coach and general manager to take them to the promised land.