Why did the Colts fire Frank Reich Bad offense long-term QB issues lead to Indys rare midseason coaching change
Why did the Colts fire Frank Reich Bad offense long-term QB issues lead to Indys rare midseason coaching change
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The Colts entered the 2022 NFL season with high hopes. After going 3-5-1 in their first nine games, the organization has decided to move on from its head coach.Frank Reich was fired on Monday midway through his fifth year with the Colts, as owner Jim Irsay announced on Twitter.We have parted ways with head coach Frank Reich. Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) Reich had been with the Colts since 2018 and enjoyed moderate succe s during his four-and-a-half years with the franchise. He came to the Colts when the club was in turmoil. Josh McDaniels had backed out of his deal to become Indianapolis' head coach, and Reich stepped into the vacancy and provided stability.A season later, Andrew Luck surprisingly retired. The decision came on eve of the 2019 season, leaving Reich and the Colts scrambling to keep the team competitive. They didn't make the playoffs, but Reich still found a way to post a 7-9 record with Jacoby Bri sett and Brian Hoyer at quarterback.IYER:Given Noah Syndergaard Jersey the obstacles that Reich faced, his 40-33 record is certainly solid. That said, it's not a surprise that the Colts decided to move on from him given their start to the season.Their 26-3 defeat at the hands of the Patriots in Week 9 proved to be the tipping point and will send Indianapolis back into the coaching market for the first time since 2018.The Colts' decision to part with Reich was all about the team's struggling offense.Reich and the Colts were unable to succe sfully integrate veteran quarterback Matt Ryan into the team's offense during the 2022 NFL season. The hope was that he wouldgive a Philip Rivers-type jolt to Indy's offense. Instead, the unit regre sed badly.Through nine weeks, the Colts have the NFL's worst scoring offense, as they average just 14.7 points per game. Even worse, their running game which was supposed to be a strength hasn't performed well. The team is averaging just 86.7 rushing yards per game, good for the third-fewest in the league, despite having Jonathan Taylor at its disposal.If those i sues weren't enough, Indianapolis is tied for the league lead in turnovers with 17 and has allowed a league-high 35 sacks. That included nine Mike Piazza Jersey suffered by Sam Ehlinger against the Patriots.If you see Judon's red sleeves, it's too late.3 sacks today for : on CBS: Stream on NFL+ NFL (@NFL) Reich tried to tinker with the offense to fix it. He shuffled the offensive line to try to restore it to its heyday; he benched Ryan for Ehlinger to provide more mobility at the quarterback position; and he even tried changing up the offense by firing offensive coordinator Marcus Brady.MORE: None of those strategies worked. As such, Reich was the last one left to blame for the me s in Indianapolis, so Irsay decided to move on from him.It wasn't just about this season. The Colts closed the 2021 NFL campaign poorly as well. They had a win-and-in scenario in Week 18 against the league-worst Jaguars, but the team wasn't able to earn a victory. It mi sed the postseason as a result.Quarterback Carson Wentz eventually served as the scapegoat for that lo s, but there was buzz that Reich's job may not be safe either. He ultimately survived and was given one more chance to prove himself.Reich tied his wagon to Ryan, who proved to be the Colts' fifth different Week 1 starting quarterback in Reich's five years with the team. It didn't pan out, and that lack of succe s and stability at the position certainly played a part in his departure.YearColts' Week 1 starter2018Andrew Luck2019Jacoby Bri sett2020Philip Rivers2021Carson Wentz2022Matt RyanMORE:So, that Reich was fired wasn't a surprise. The decision to dismi s him midseason, however, was.Before parting with Reich, the Colts hadn't fired a coach in-season since Ron Meyer's 0-5 start to the 1991 NFL season, andhad previously indicated that Reich was expected to be "safe" despite Indy's lackluster results.Meanwhile, Irsay reportedly told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that he was comfortable with both Reich and general manager Chris Ballard just a week before Reich's dismi sal.I'm in a great spot with Chris and Frank. We're all re-energized with the move to Sam Ehlinger. Nothing is easy but feel really good.Evidently, that feeling quickly waned. And as a result, Reich is now searching for employment.NFL POWER RANKINGS: Reich led the Colts to a 40-33 record during his time in Indianapolis. The Colts made the playoffs twice under his watch, but they won just one postseason game; that was with Andrew Luck. They also mi sed out on the postseason in a disappointing fashion due to their lo s to the Jaguars in 2021.Below is a year-by-year breakdown of Reich's results with the Colts:YearRecordPlayoffs?201810-6Lost to Chiefs in divisional round, 31-1320197-9202011-5Lost to Bills in wild-card round, 27-2420219-820223-5-1TBDReich's Colts only ever made the postseason as the final wild-card team. They were the No. 6 seed in 2018 and were the AFC's first-ever No. 7 seed after the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020.MORE: The Colts are taking a non-traditional route as they look to replace Reich. They have hired Jeff Saturday from outside the organization to serve as their interim coach.Saturday has a lengthy resume of NFL playing experience. He starred at center for the Colts for 13 Tom Seaver Jersey years and had a great relationship with Peyton Manning during their time together. He spent his final season with the Packers and since retiring, he has worked at ESPN as an NFL analyst.Now, Saturday will have a crack at coaching at the NFL level. His highest previous level of experience came when he was the head coach atHebron Christian Academy inDacula, Ga., so he will face a steep learning curve.Many were surprised that the Colts didn't simply elevate one of their a sistants like defensive coordinator Gus Bradley or special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone to the head coaching spot. Bradley has four previous years of NFL head coaching experience with the Jaguars from 2013-16, so many presumed he would get a chance despite his 14-48 record.Instead, the Colts are opting to take a dive into the unknown.
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