The Indianapolis Colts lost their Week 18 match to the Houston Texans on Saturday, ending what could have been a magical season for first-year head coach Shane Steichen.
The Colts had a chance to win with a touchdown at the end of the game but failed to convert on a crucial fourth down play which gave the ball back to the Texans who kneeled out the clock to seal the game.
On that play, Colts running back dropped a pass from quarterback Gardner Minshew that would have given Indianapolis the necessary yardage to convert the fourth down and extend their drive.
There’s a lot of blame to go around for the Colts, but Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless posted on social media that he thinks Minshew’s underthrown ball was the reason for the drop, not Goodson.
“I blame Minshew’s throw slightly more than Goodson’s failure to catch it. Goodson doesn’t catch many. Can’t expect him to adjust to a ball behind him with the game on the line,” Bayless posted.
I blame Minshew's throw slightly more than Goodson's failure to catch it. Goodson doesn't catch many. Can't expect him to adjust to a ball behind him with the game on the line.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 7, 2024
While Minshew and Goodson are both at fault for the poor play execution, another person who should bear responsibility is Steichen.
His decision to call a pass play with a running back not named Jonathan Taylor – who is easily the team’s best offensive player – will be scrutinized all offseason.
Missing the playoffs is certainly disappointing for Indianapolis, but the Colts were never expected to be this good this quickly while also losing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson earlier in the year.
The Colts also didn’t have Taylor for the first month of the season as well as a few weeks at the end of the season with ankle and thumb injuries.
Nevertheless, Indianapolis had a shot to make the playoffs, missed it, and will now have to determine what they could do differently for 2024.
NEXT: Colts Announce 2 Roster Moves Ahead Of Raiders Game