Shane Steichen takes the blame for the Indianapolis Colts' loss to the Minnesota Vikings

When Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen announced this week that Joe Flacco would take over the starting quarterback role in place of Anthony Richardson, a decision he took full ownership of, he did so with the Victory.

“(I) feel like Joe gives us the best chance to win right now,” he said Wednesday.

It certainly didn't look like that on Sunday evening. The Colts offense had its worst performance of the season against the Minnesota Vikings, losing 21-13 in prime time. The Indy offense only made two field goals on the night and seemed as stagnant as ever with Flacco under center.

If this is the offense the Colts produce the rest of the game, it's fair to wonder how many more games they'll actually win this season.

“Obviously I was very disappointed when I went away and didn’t make it,” Steichen said after the game. “It starts with me. I am the head coach. I’m responsible for everything that’s on the field, so I wasn’t good enough.”

“I wasn’t good enough” is a statement Steichen has made quite often after games this season, but the results haven’t improved. To say that the Colts' offense hasn't looked that bad all year isn't an exaggeration. Steichen's unit posted season lows in points (6), red zone drives (0), first downs (13), yards (227) and expected points added (EPA) per game (-0.35). The Colts also didn't reach the red zone the entire game.

In a week where Steichen made a massive change at the most important position, he had no answer to defending Brian Flores.

“Thanks to Minnesota too. They have done a lot of good things, but here too I am the head coach,” emphasized Steichen. “Everything on the field has my name on it. They did a lot of good things defensively. They messed up their coverages and blitzes. We knew it would be a big challenge getting into the game. It’s a good football team.” We played. But in the end it wasn't good enough and I had to be better for the boys.

Now, to their credit, the Vikings' defense is considered one of the most aggressive and exotic in the NFL. They blitz at the fastest speed in the league and use different looks and disguises to throw offenses off their game. It is a difficult challenge to prepare for.

But if you look at the raw numbers, the Vikings entered this matchup with the 30th ranked pass defense in football, giving up 263 yards per game. They had proven they were tough against the run (third-best run defense), but there would be opportunities for success through the air.

Success was elusive because Flacco was inaccurate and seemed to feel the pressure before it was there. Flacco went 16 of 27 (59%) for 179 yards and one interception while being sacked three times. Consistency and the ability to keep the offense on track, the main reasons Flacco was named the starter over Richardson, failed to materialize.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss any more news and analysis! Take a second and Sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

While Steichen didn't comment on Flacco's performance on the field, he believes the quarterback handled the environment well and blamed himself.

“He was fine,” Steichen said of Flacco. “Of course he has played in situations like this before, but it starts again with myself as head coach.”

The Colts' running game also had trouble getting going. Indy managed just 68 yards on 19 carries, an average of 3.6 yards. Jonathan Taylor did what he could, but with the Vikings defense focused on not allowing Taylor to beat them, he only managed 48 yards.

Another side effect of putting Richardson on the bench is that the running game is less dynamic. The Colts are in no danger of a quarterback run game with Flacco, allowing the defense to attack Taylor without pausing to appreciate Richardson's abilities on the ground. It eliminates a dynamic aspect of the offense that the Colts desperately need.

“We have to run the football efficiently there with JT and stuff, but we’ll sort that out,” Steichen noted. “I have every confidence and trust that they will sort this out in the future.”

What's worse is that the Colts wasted a great defensive performance in which all of their top playmakers had an impact. Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner were monsters under center and dominated the interior of the Vikings' defensive line. They recorded three of the Colts' four sacks on the afternoon, including a phenomenal strip sack by Stewart that was snagged by Kenny Moore II for the Colts' only touchdown of the night.

Speaking of Moore, he and Zaire Franklin were everywhere and made crucial plays for the defense. Franklin and Nick Cross recorded two interceptions off Sam Darnold, while Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo were in the backfield all night. It was a huge achievement for a unit that was once again on the field for most of the game.

The box score could show that the Colts gave up 415 total yards of offense to the Vikings, including 137 to All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson. But Gus Bradley's group did enough to win the game for the Colts had the offense held up its end of the bargain.

“I thought Gus and those guys did a great job getting the turnovers,” Steichen admitted. “They played well the whole game. They really did that. Obviously they kept us in the game the whole time
Turnover there, the first one that gave us a touchdown there. But I thought our defense did a great job.”

The Win Now Colts are suddenly 4-5, losing two in a row for the second time this season and are back under .500. Despite the loss, the Colts are just one game out of the final wild card spot in the AFC with eight games remaining. There is still a path for them to make the playoffs, but they won't get there if the offense continues to perform as well as it did on Sunday night.

When Steichen and the Colts traded from Richardson to Flacco, they made it clear that they would sacrifice long-term development for short-term success. They put pressure on themselves and created expectations that they were going to the playoffs and needed the best option for now. It’s playoffs or bust for this Colts team.

But after this performance, who can say Flacco gives them the best chance of winning? Steichen said last night that the Colts are sticking with Flacco “for now,” so don't expect a move back to Richardson any time soon. But for this to work, Steichen has to find answers quickly.

“I have to keep paying attention to what we're doing offensively, you know what I mean?” Steichen explains. “We still have eight (games) left. We are now halfway through the year. Just look at the plans and what we’re doing and go from there.”

Steichen made his bed by going with Flacco and now he has to lie in it. And if it doesn't work out and the Colts miss the playoffs, that bed and Steichen's spot will feel a lot hotter at the end of the season.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle To Facebook And Xand subscribe YouTube for multiple Colts live stream podcasts per week.