The Colts got exactly the kind of win that can buy a coach some breathing room. After nine straight losses stretching back to last season, Indianapolis finally snapped the skid by beating the Houston Texans and handing an AFC West rival an 0-3 start. The result pushed Indy to 1-2, and it also nudged Shane Steichen’s hot seat meter down a notch.
But only a notch.
One win matters, especially when it comes after a stretch like that. The defense looked far better than it had in the first two games of 2026, and that alone gave the Colts something to build on. Still, the kind of follow-up matters just as much as the breakthrough itself.
That’s why Week 4 looms so large. Indianapolis heads to London, England, to face the Washington Commanders in a game the Colts should win. Washington might be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels because of a recently dislocated elbow, and even if Daniels is available, Indy has the better roster.
For Steichen, though, the bigger issue is not just the opponent. It’s the same problem that keeps showing up: late-game management. The play-calling and clock usage have already become a familiar sore spot this season, and they have not exactly helped his case.
That was on display in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when Steichen called back-to-back run plays in overtime to try to get closer to the end zone. The first left the Colts with 2nd-and-9. The second went nowhere and, frankly, never should have been called.
Week 3 brought a different version of the same issue. After Houston rallied to take a 17-16 lead in the fourth quarter, Steichen seemed content to work the ball down methodically and settle for a field goal chance. Spencer Shrader bailed the Colts out by drilling a 53-yard winner, but the path there made the kick harder than it needed to be.
By letting the clock bleed, Steichen turned what might have been a 40-yard attempt into a shot from beyond 50. That kind of gamble paid off once, but it is not the sort of margin a team wants to live on.
Even so, there was plenty for Steichen to like in the win. The Colts put up 19 points against a very good Texans defense without Alec Pierce, their only true consistent deep threat. And Pierce is not coming back right away; he will miss at least three more games.
That makes the Week 4 plan pretty clear. Washington has a bad pass defense and a strong run defense, so Steichen needs to lean into the air and do it effectively.
If the Colts get their second straight win and return to the United States at 2-2, the conversation changes fast. If they force the run too much and lose, the noise around Steichen will only get louder.
In Other News...
Daniel Jones Is Forcing A Colts Decision Much Earlier Than Expected
Daniel Jones arrived in Indianapolis with the kind of contract that suggested the Colts were ready to give him a real chance to settle in, but the first three games of this season have already put that plan under strain. Turnovers have been the recurring issue, with interceptions and fumbles piling up fast enough to make the early part of the season feel more like an audition than a fresh start.
The Colts built in an escape route when they signed Jones to a two-year deal worth up to $88 million, including a team option to move on after this season. If the miscues keep coming, the organization may have to start weighing a different starting quarterback much sooner than anyone expected, turning what was supposed to be a measured evaluation into a far more urgent decision. [Read more 🡒]
Colts London Game Is Turning Into A Fan Frustration Story
The NFLs London trip is already creating a headache for Colts fans who moved quickly to lock in seats for the matchup with Washington at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. With demand coming in softer than expected, the league has slashed prices on some tickets, and seats that were listed as high as $325 have fallen to about $105, leaving early buyers wondering why they paid so much more.
For Indianapolis followers making the overseas commitment, it turns what should have been a special event into a source of frustration before the game even kicks off. The league still has three London games on the schedule this October, but the pricing shift has raised new questions about how strongly fans are buying into the international series and how much goodwill takes a hit when ticket values move so sharply. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Still Face An Anthony Richardson Decision No Team Has Solved
The Giants quarterback scramble has already taken another turn, with Jaxson Dart now set to miss the rest of the regular season after knee surgery. New York moved to shore up its depth by dealing a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Vikings for J.J. McCarthy, a reminder of how quickly teams can pivot when the position gets unsettled, and how few obvious fixes are actually available once the market tightens.
For the Colts, the bigger picture around Anthony Richardson Sr. still looks unresolved. Richardson asked for a trade earlier this year, but no team has reportedly pushed hard to land him, and Indianapolis remains in the familiar spot of holding a talented backup while weighing a future no one else has been eager to define for them. With the Giants opting in another direction, it is one more sign that the leagues quarterback carousel has spun without offering Indianapolis a clean solution. [Read more 🡒]