It's getting dark early in Indianapolis.
The Colts suffered another embarrassing loss on Sunday, getting their doors blown off, 42-7, by rival Jacksonville. Already amid a teardown, it's the type of loss that puts more jobs in question.
Coach Shane Steichen sits in the crosshairs after Indy already parted ways with general manager Chris Ballard and traded away Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. It's one thing to be 2-6. It's a different matter to get walloped by a rival in disheartening fashion for a fourth straight loss.
"It wasn't good enough, flat-out wasn't good enough," Steichen said, via the Indianapolis Star. "We got outcoached, we got outplayed and we've got to freaking learn from our mistakes in a hurry. The effort and the energy has to be there every week. If not, you're going to get beat like that."
The Colts played like a team whose players know there is no coming back this season. Missed tackles, botched offensive plays leading to turnovers, ineffective quarterback play, questionable play calls. Everything was a mess. Those issues fall squarely on Steichen.
"Clearly, I've got to do a better job, plain and simple," Steichen said. "It starts with me as the head coach. I've got to do a better job to get these guys ready to go. That wasn't it today."
The question is how much longer Steichen is the head coach. Clearly, he couldn't get his players ready for a division opponent after the week of trades. Might Indy be better served severing ties now than waiting until the new year?
"I'm focused on getting better," Steichen said. "That's what I'm focused on right now."
Beyond Steichen's future, the Colts have several big questions between now and next week. Jonathan Taylorcould be traded. The RB had a big 19-yard run out of the gate on Sunday, but did little else the rest of the way, earning 23 rushing yards on eight carries and a fumble on a botched trick play. The Colts may not have wanted to put Taylor in harm's way with the trade deadline looming, but once Indy was down big, there was little point in putting more tread on his tires, regardless of how things play out.
Then there is Daniel Jones, who has struggled mightily this season. On Sunday, he completed 19 of 28 passes for 144 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions, before being sat in the blowout. Jones' play has sunk like a rock this season; he has missed passes and gets rattled any time there is pressure. He looks like the Jones who earned his ticket out of New York in 2024. His dismal play has jump-started questions about whether the Colts should give Anthony Richardson a shot.
"I'm going to evaluate everything, every position going forward," Steichen said when asked if Jones would remain his team's starting quarterback.
That evaluation should start with how he prepares his team to play.
