Shane Steichen quickly moved up the rankings for Coach of the Year after many realized that he had the Colts currently in the playoffs after defeating the Buccaneers last week.
My Sports Illustrated colleague Conor Orr, however, didn’t just notice Steichen’s work because of Indianapolis’s three-game winning streak. The first-year coach has been on his radar since the tumultuous training camp in Indianapolis. Star running back Jonathan Taylor missed the first quarter of the season due to injury and a public contract dispute that got messy between him and brash team owner Jim Irsay.
Steichen helped the Colts (6–5) jump to a surprising start behind stellar play from rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson and backup running back Zack Moss. The team then stayed afloat with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew and the return of Taylor after Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
