10 Colts Things: How Shane Steichen is fostering team-wide confidence, inside the Anthony Richardson-Jonathan Taylor pairing, Laiatu Latu's remarkable preview and what we learned in 2024 preseason

1. This entire team is behind Shane Steichen – and that's not by accident.

Alex Tanney signed with the Cleveland Browns just before Thanksgiving in 2013 and had all of five days to learn his new team's offense before backing up starter Brandon Weeden for a Week 13 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The guy tasked with teaching Tanney the system was a 28-year-old offensive quality control coach: Shane Steichen.

Eleven years later, Tanney is now on Steichen's coaching staff as the Colts' pass game coordinator. But how Steichen handled those few days in Cleveland still sticks with Tanney.

Because even in 2013, when Steichen was low on the coaching totem pole, Tanney knew he had a certain way about him that would make him a successful coach.

"Even back then, he had such a great passion and enthusiasm for the game," Tanney said. "And I think what makes him so great is — obviously he played quarterback, has experience with quarterbacks — but the game is so complex and so detailed, and he has a very unique way of simplifying it and then, at the same time, just kind of instilling a confidence within the scheme. When he talks about it, talks about a plan and install, the players and staff really believe in it."

Fast-forward to eight years later, and Tanney again found himself in the same building as Steichen. This time, Tanney was beginning his coaching career as a quality control coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, with Steichen the offensive coordinator. And this time, Tanney saw what made Steichen a great coach not only for his players, but for his assistants.

"That's something that he did a great job of in Philly and he's continuing to do here – when we're sitting in meetings, he's always willing to listen," Tanney said. "Especially in this league, if you're not creative and you're not adapting, you're going to get passed up. So just having open ears and listen to as many ideas as you possibly can and seeing what fits within what we have."

And now with the Colts, Tanney is experiencing how Steichen can lead not just a quarterback or an offense, but an entire team and organization.

"I think any great coach, especially him, has the ability to adapt and play to the personnel you're provided with," Tanney said. "In regards to the confidence thing, I think it's huge for the players. This is one of the first places I've been where, throughout the week, you install stuff, you show them the pictures but then he also always has a tape — it's like, here's why. This is why we like it, this is why we think it's gonna work. And players see the evidence. I think that really helps the confidence of them believing in why we're calling the stuff we're calling."

Ask general manager Chris Ballard, and he'll tell you the thing he appreciates about Steichen is how he never flinches, constantly adapting to the personnel at his disposal.

"He never complains, like you never hear him make an excuse or complain," Ballard said. "(He'll say) 'Hey, who do I got? All right, let's make it work.' If he needs something better, (he'll say) 'Hey, it'd be nice if we have something better. If not, we'll find a way to make this work.' That's what good teams do."

Ask around the Colts' locker room, and players on both sides of the ball will tell you how empowering it is to have Steichen as their head coach.

"I think he understands players a lot," linebacker EJ Speed said. "He's very confident in what he asks of us, he's very confident in the players that he's got. And I think 90 percent of the game going on the field is to have confidence. So if you got a confident coach, somebody you know has confidence in you, it means a lot."

Center Ryan Kelly praised Steichen for leaving "no gray area" in the expectations he has for his players – which, Kelly said, is exactly what professional athletes need from their head coach. And as the Colts embark on the 2024 season, they – from the players to coaches to front office staffers – will do so holding a deep belief in the person leading them.

"Shane does a great job of trusting us to go out there and be accountable for each other, to be accountable for what we do on the field," Kelly said. "And then knowing, Year 2, Shane's going to take care of us physically and mentally. I think he's a great head coach. He's done a great job. And I think guys enjoy coming to work every day because they know the standard — as professional athletes, that's all you can ask for. And he wants you to go out and show your personality and play well."

2. The Colts believe Anthony Richardson will be resilient through whatever challenges he may face in 2024.

The first half of a day didn't go the way Richardson or the Colts' offense hoped – things were disjointed and there were a handful of miscues. Then, over the second half of the afternoon, Richardson started making plays, those mistakes got cleaned up and things ended on a high note.

That paragraph could describe Richardson's Week 4 showing as a rookie against the Los Angeles Rams – or his Aug. 20 joint practice against the Cincinnati Bengals a little over a week ago.

The point being: Even if things aren't going well for Richardson and the offense in a given moment, there's always a chance he pulls the Colts out of it through his other-worldly playmaking ability.

"We went through it last year for a short period," Ballard said. "I mean we're sitting over here against the Rams, and I'm thinking – what were we down at halftime? (23-0.) I mean, there wasn't a lot of hope in my box. Next thing you know, we're tying the freaking thing up. I said, 'Okay that's what this guy can do.' So no, there'll be some – like with any young player, there's ups and there's downs and they look bad and they'll look great. Like, that's normal. They get beat, they miss a pass, they drop a ball. I mean, (expletive) happens."

The larger point here is Richardson does not get rattled in the low moments, nor does he lose focus during the high points. His steady, even-keel demeanor is a major asset to the Colts as he enters Year 2 as QB1 – it can keep the Colts in games, and it could propel the Colts to pull away in games they're already winning.

Richardson, too, has continued to develop as a leader. He was again voted a team captain, and as the 22-year-old has played more games and experienced more situations, he's becoming more and more vocal.

"The leadership role is really starting to come out," Kelly said. "I think it's holding guys accountable, using snap counts, changing protections — the things that a Year 1 starting quarterback with minimal college experience, you're not expecting that to be right now and every single time. The work he did sitting in meetings last year when he was injured, the offseason, having now (practices) under our belt here, you really start to see it. I witnessed it today, it kind of caught me off guard — it's really cool to see him progressing into that role, and that's the role that you need him to be into."

The Colts exit the preseason fully confident in Richardson, owing to the collection of good things he did over the course of training camp – and how he conducted himself through whatever ups and downs he experienced.

"There's going to be highs, there's going to be lows," Steichen said, "but we're expecting a lot more highs for sure because of his ability."

3. Where the 5-28 backfield can have a tangible impact.

We won't be able to grasp the full scope of how a Richardson-Jonathan Taylor backfield will benefit the Colts' offense until kickoff on Sept. 8. The Colts, of course, didn't put anything on film during preseason games, and as you probably read quite a bit over the last nine months, Richardson and Taylor played all of two snaps together in 2023.

What we do know, though, is pairing one of the NFL's most dynamic running threats at quarterback with an eminently explosive running back will – however it looks – create headaches for opposing defenses.

"The playbook is open to everything," Steichen said. "I mean, those two guys are super explosive in the backfield."

It's easy to say this pairing will make the Colts' offense better. But there are two specific areas where having Richardson lined up next to Taylor could make a major difference compared to 2023.

The Colts last year, despite being 10th in the NFL in points per game, were bottom 10 in red zone touchdown rate (49 percent, 23rd) and third down conversion rate (35 percent, 26th). Only two teams were bottom 10 in the red zone and made the playoffs last year (Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, which each won nine games), while one team made the playoffs while being bottom 10 on third down (Cleveland, which had a historically-good defense).

The Colts' problem last year was not getting into the red zone (14th-most drives inside the 20) or getting advantageous looks on third down (the Colts' average of 6.5 yards to the sticks on third down was fifth-lowest in the NFL).

Drilling a little further, the Colts had 32 possessions inside the 10-yard line (18th) but scored touchdowns on 62.5 percent of those drives (26th). And the Colts tied for the second-most plays (80) on third-and-short (1-3 yards), but turned those into first downs just 51.3 percent of the time (28th).

So here's where Richardson and Taylor can help in the low red zone and on third-and-short. First: If those guys generate explosive plays – turning a first-or-second-down play into a first down or touchdown – it'll decrease the amount of critical third downs on which the Colts' offense has to execute. Second: If the Colts are in third-and-short or near the goal line, the prospect of Richardson or Taylor carrying the ball – or Richardson throwing it – could put opposing defensive ends and linebackers in a blender, upping those situational percentages for an offense that, again, was still top 10 in the NFL in points scored in 2023.

"You just can't really trust nothing that you see," linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "It's constantly putting me or EJ (Speed) in tough situations to make a decision, and I'm not gonna lie, sometimes you gotta guess. (And) you guess wrong sometimes."

4. Adonai Mitchell & Alec Pierce will both have a role in the offense.

During the Colts' final preseason team meeting Thursday, Steichen made a point to single out Pierce for the growth he made from 2023 to 2024 and the consistency he showed during training camp. But the praise also came with a challenge:

"That consistency needs to carry over onto the field this year," Steichen said. "He made some big-time plays for us in camp, and the consistency is going to be huge not only with him, but everybody. We've all got to be consistent – coaches and players through the whole season."

It wasn't a coincidence Steichen highlighted Pierce's consistency throughout training camp. The third-year receiver came into the summer striving to not only make plays, but to maintain a high level of play regardless of how he felt or if the ball was coming his way in a given practice.

"I think I've had a good training camp," Pierce said. "I've tried to be working on my consistency, basically to kind of bring up the level of the bad days — like never truly have a day where it was like, 'Ah, he wasn't great today.' I know my type of game, I know I'm going to have good days where I make big plays but other days might not make the big play, but trying to bring that up and not have a, 'Oh, I had a good day today,' and then kind of lose a little focus. I was trying to always be consistent, wipe the last day from my memory and attack each day like a new day."

Pierce made plays at all three levels of the field – short, intermediate, deep – with his mindset translating into one of the better training camps any Colts player had over the last month.

"I think Alec has just had his best camp, arguably as good as anybody out there," Ballard said. "Consistent, shows he can play inside and out."

Mitchell, the second-round rookie, impressed teammates and coaches in his own right. The 6-foot-2, 205 pound Mitchell got plenty of work in the slot after Josh Downs sustained an ankle injury, and his size, speed and athleticism all stood out during the build-up to his NFL regular season debut.

"AD is kind of what we thought he was," Ballard said. "He's a very talented young player. He's still learning, but they're both going to have really good years and help us. That's a really good room. It's a good group. Reggie (Wayne) has done tremendous work."

5. A thought on the O-line.

What a difference a year makes.

The Colts didn't make any changes to their starting offensive line heading into the 2023 season, believing that a fresh voice – O-line coach Tony Sparano Jr. – could get the most out of a group that took plenty of heat during a four-win 2022 season.

That belief in Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Will Fries and Braden Smith was rewarded last year:

It wasn't just those starting five, either – Blake Freeland started nine games at both tackle spots, while Wesley French started three games at center. The secret sauce for the Colts' offensive line is made up of more than just talent – it's the high standard set by veterans like Kelly, Nelson and Smith and the deep bonds forged between the players in Sparano's room.

"With coach Sparano the last two years we've been building the chemistry so much in the O-line room, off the field," Nelson said. "He really puts an emphasis on that. Then on the field and off the field during camp, we're just having so much fun together. It really does make a difference on the field for sure – just our chemistry, our bond and wanting to play for one another. So yeah, it's been good."

No one on the Colts' offensive line is resting on what they did in 2023, of course. That's not how that group is led or operates.

The difference now is there aren't external questions about how good this group is – the questions now are about just how good the Colts' offensive line can become.

"I think it's important to know that the good things we did last year — there's so much room to get better even with that," Fries said. "The goal is to be the best line in the league. I think we can see where we can clean things up and get better. Those older guys do a great job setting the tone — Q, Ryan, Braden — and holding everyone to a good standard. It's a never-ending process to get better every day."

6. The D-line is looking for a pressure-packed season.

A few times during training camp, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner brought up not the Colts' 2023 sack total – 51.0, fourth in the NFL and an Indianapolis-era franchise record – but the team's pressure rate.

Which, at 31.8 percent, was ninth-lowest in the NFL.

No team with a bottom-11 pressure rate made the playoffs in 2023; 11 of the top 12 teams in pressure rate earned spots in last year's postseason.

"The thing is, we left a lot of sacks out there and you gotta to continue, as a group, to just have that constant pressure on the quarterback throughout the entire game," Buckner said. "That was one of the things was our pressure rate as a unit throughout the season wasn't as high as – yeah sacks are great and all, but we gotta continue to have an outcome on the game and threaten the quarterback a little bit more, especially in the fourth quarter and crunch time. Those are all things that we can accomplish as a group."

The Colts' pressure rate in the fourth quarter and overtime dropped to 30.5 percent, fourth-lowest in the NFL, even though only one other team (Baltimore) had more sacks after the third quarter than the Colts' 20. No teams with a bottom-15 pressure rate in the fourth quarter or overtime made the postseason in 2023.

Training camp's D-line vs. O-line battles were fierce – they looked like the definition of good-on-good work – and the D-line completely took over multiple joint practices in August. The Colts' first joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals was marked by not just pressure on quarterback Kyler Murray, but discipline in keeping that pressure on him when he escaped the pocket. And in the Colts' joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals, defensive end Kwity Paye ended a late-game practice period with a "sack" of quarterback Joe Burrow.

But it'll take more than just the returning contributors up front – headlined by Buckner, Paye, Tyquan Lewis, Grover Stewart and Dayo Odeyingbo – for the Colts to improve their pressure rate. Two newcomers and one ascending young player should help, too.

The first newcomer is defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, who was hired earlier this year after a lengthy and successful career at the college level.

"Having Charlie, a new addition to our group, I think he's going to take our group to that next level," Buckner said.

Then there's the first defensive player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, who's the focus of the next bullet point here.

7. Laiatu Latu had a remarkable training camp.

Latu arrived at Grand Park for his first NFL training camp in July with a goal: Get at least one sack and make a play against the run every day.

So, with the Colts holding their final preseason practice a month later on Thursday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, how'd he do?

"I think I've attacked every practice and achieved those goals pretty much almost every practice," Latu said.

That's not hyperbole. It absolutely felt like Latu made an impactful play every day he put on a helmet this summer, including in both the preseason games in which he played.

"He's impressive," Raimann, who went up against Latu plenty during those practices, said. "He seems to fit right in with this defense. He's quick, he's physical. He fits the run game. It's hard to block him in the run game because he's so twitchy and then same in pass pro as well. You gotta bring your A-game against him and it makes all of us better. I'm glad we have him."

Latu quickly made a strong impression during the first few non-padded practices of training camp. The Colts then wanted to see him carry that over to padded practices. He did. From there, Latu had to carry it over into preseason games and joint practices. He did, finishing his preseason with a sack against the Cincinnati Bengals last week.

And Latu didn't give anyone who watched him a reason to believe he can't carry this momentum over to the regular season.

"He's got pretty freaky instincts," Ballard said. "Watch his eyes. His eyes never come off the quarterback – ever. It's pretty impressive to watch."

Latu's instincts are one pillar of his game. Another: The way he can bend at the top of his rush to make a beeline toward the pocket, which forces opposing tackles to have to hold their blocks longer. Routing Latu upfield past the quarterback isn't always enough – if you're lucky to even have the opportunity to route him upfield.

"The way how he just bends, seeing him how he plays, sometimes a tackle will get him on his inside shoulder and he takes his shoulder away, drops, bends and just keeps going," defensive end Kwity Paye said. "It's amazing to see how he could manipulate the O-line and just play. It's crazy."

But Latu doesn't just have freakish instincts and athleticism. Another one of his defining traits is how much he cares, and how thankful he is to even be here with the Colts. Not every first-round pick has that kind of appreciation for his circumstances. But not every first-round pick had to fight to play football again after it was taken away from him.

"He's grateful to be here," linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "You don't get that a lot from a guy with his accomplishments, his pedigree. He takes every day as truly a blessing and he's thankful mostly to be out there with his teammates. And I tell him all the time, I can work with that. Everything else we can figure out, but I can work with that."

8. Another camp standout: Defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore

Adebawore in 2023 might've flown under the radar on the Colts' defensive line – he had five tackles, 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits over 10 games, and was inactive seven times as a rookie. But for anyone paying attention when the Colts' first-team defensive line rotated out during practice or preseason games, there was nothing under the radar about the play from the Northwestern product.

Over 54 preseason pass rushing snaps, Adebawore generated eight total pressures, five quarterback hits and one sack. His pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus, was 16.7 percent; for comparison, Tyquan Lewis led the Colts with a 17.1 percent pass rush win rate in 2023.

And Adebawore didn't just impress against backups: He beat Denver Broncos starting right guard Quinn Meinerz to generate a pressure in the Colts' preseason opener, for example, showcasing the development he's made with his hand placement and power. He consistently generated interior pressure during practices, too.

Improving at those technical aspects of his game, then, allowed Adebawore's freakish athleticism to shine at Grand Park or in preseason games.

"If you look at the D-line group, we've had conversations that he's probably one of the most improved from where he was," Bradley said. "You see that sometimes in second-year players, where they get a better feel. Their offseason, they may change a few things here or there, realizing after going through a season what they need work on. But give credit to him. I mean, he's done a great job and then the D-line coaching staff has really worked with him too. So, it's been good. He's playing more consistent versus the run and the pass. We're pleased with where he's at right now."

Adebawore's teammates have noticed that Year 1 to Year 2 growth as well.

"Tomi's just going with the flow," Paye said. "You'll ask Tomi sometimes what he did, it's like, I don't know, I have to watch it on film because he's just flowing. Seeing him in this pass game against the guard that just got paid real big (Quinn Meinerz), that's a big confidence booster. He was tossing him around like nothing. Watching Tomi, seeing his growth, Year 2 jump it's amazing."

As the Colts look to forge that eight-deep defensive line rotation, having Adebawore carry over his strong preseason into the regular season could be an important factor in keeping pressure on opposing quarterbacks while Buckner or Stewart are on the sideline. But it looks like there's something unlocked in Adebawore's game – and he, at several turns in training camp, credited Partridge with giving him the key.

"He's helped my game a lot," Adebawore said. "A lot of things I've been trying to work on he's really helped me improve my game just with my hand placement, using the power I have on the field, I think coach P's probably done one of the best jobs as far as coaching I've been around."

9. The Colts are ready to roll with youth in their secondary.

Alongside veteran cornerback Kenny Moore II and veteran safety Julian Blackmon, the Colts will start a trio of young players with varying levels of experience: Cornerbacks JuJu Brents (second year, eight career starts) and Jaylon Jones (second year, 10 starts) and safety Nick Cross (third year, six starts).

The Colts have been consistent in their plan to let Brents, Jones and Cross play and develop in 2024. The most notable offseason additions to Ron Milus' defensive backs room were fifth- and sixth-round cornerbacks Jaylin Simpson and Micah Abraham, both of whom were waived on roster cut-down day (Simpson is back on the practice squad).

"They're young," Ballard said. "They're going to continue to get better. Sometimes you've got to be able to meet – like things don't always work out, even when you're trying to acquire a player. Not saying we didn't try to do some things, sometimes it just doesn't happen. But we do think we have good, young talent back there, and we have a lot of belief in our front.

"So we'll continue to let these guys grow and come on. They don't become players without playing. I mean, I think sometimes we forget that. They've got to just – they've got to play."

The 22-year-old Cross, in particular, showed some encouraging signs during training camp heading into his third season in the NFL.

"I think he's consistently (gotten) better," Ballard said. "Like we forget Nick was – it wasn't Nick's fault that we drafted him at 20 (years old). That's on me. He's young. Then you get up here and you talk glowingly about him and you almost blow the expectations to where we all expect something and you forget how young he was. But I think you've seen a guy that just consistently gets better each and every week. I thought this preseason, he played really well. I thought even through practice, through games, he played really good football. So, I'm excited to see where – for him to take another step."

10. "I think it's a really good football team."

The Colts have operated with confidence all offseason, pointing to the upside provided by continuity with a roster (and, for the most part, coaching staff) that came within a few yards of winning the AFC South in 2023. A few additions across the roster – highlighted by Latu and Mitchell in the NFL Draft – plus the return of Richardson (and the consistent pairing of him with Taylor) provided some targeted confidence boosts.

From both a top-end talent and depth perspective, the Colts feel like they have roster strong enough to make some noise in the AFC.

"I think it's a really good football team," Ballard said. "Now, we've got to go perform. We've got to perform."

So the Colts feel like a goal for 2024 – to compete for a division title and go from there – is absolutely realistic.

"We feel like we will be in the mix," Ballard said. "I mean look, we were in the mix a year ago. I think I said this earlier, where sometimes the scars are good for you. Hard times can be good for you. Defeat, failure, can be good for you if you handle it right. I have a lot of belief in the leadership – one, of Shane, but also these players. From guys that have been there and been through a lot – and they're all good players, and they're all committed. It'll be fun to watch this team grow through the season and go through it."