NFL analyst shares exactly what he thinks about the Indianapolis Colts coaching staff ahead of the 2025 season
Shane Steichen’s first two years as the Indianapolis Colts head coach had plenty of ups and downs. Leaving the 2023 season fans felt ecstatic about their new head coach after falling just one catch away from an AFC South title and playoff berth despite playing with a backup QB for most of the season. The […]
Shane Steichen’s first two years as the Indianapolis Colts head coach had plenty of ups and downs. Leaving the 2023 season fans felt ecstatic about their new head coach after falling just one catch away from an AFC South title and playoff berth despite playing with a backup QB for most of the season. The morale following 2024 wasn’t as positive with some believing Steichen regressed as a play caller during the Colts chaotic season. ESPN’s Benjamin Solak recently ranked all 32 coaching staffs and his reasoning for where the Colts finished shares the same sentiment.
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak ranks the Colts coaching staff 18th
“Both Steichen and Anarumo are hanging their hats on seasons now long past. Steichen’s best work was as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator in 2022; Anarumo, with the Bengals’ defense for a couple of seasons before that. How much longer can they trade on those peaks? I’m willing to allow for another year of belief.
Steichen’s time coordinating offense for Anthony Richardson Sr. has been far from perfect, but his ability to elevate Gardner Minshew in 2023 gives me faith in his ability to scheme a respectable offense around Daniel Jones if he starts in 2025 — lots of RPOs in spread formations to create easy reads.
Anarumo, on the other hand, is a bit more uncertain. His defense fell apart in Cincinnati in large part because of young players who weren’t ready to be out on the field. Was that the product of bad drafting from the front office? Or did Anarumo need to do more to develop the youth by simplifying his complex, communication-heavy defense?
We’ll learn a lot in Indianapolis, where solid veterans populate all three levels of the defense. If Anarumo can get a quick jump out of this group — and I believe he’s that caliber of coach — then this staff belongs up here, just above average.” – Benjamin Solak’s NFL Coaching staff rankings
The Colts coaching staff came in at 18th for Solak. This was the 10th highest ranking for an AFC team and the second highest for teams in the AFC South; behind only the Houston Texans. I think the ranking is fair for the most part and his analysis on Steichen was solid. His assessment of the team’s new defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, though doesn’t align with my opinion.
I think we saw down the stretch in 2024 with the Cincinnati Bengals, that Anarumo was getting everything he could out of a defense that simply lacked talent in multiple key spots. There’s a reason he was still one of the most coveted coordinators this cycle despite being fired by the Bengals. And I think he will show the league he is still one of the top defensive minds in the business, with a significantly better defense to work with in Indy.
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