This season, I’ve had my fair share of interactions with the Indianapolis Colts, and honestly, I think I can understand their frustration. Earlier, they used my face in a thumbnail without mentioning my name while discussing the team. But what really matters to me is that the criticisms I and others shared weren’t personal—they were about the things happening inside the Colts’ organization that are simply not what good teams do. The little things that add up. Things like missed treatments, late meetings, and tapping out of games. These issues, while seemingly small, contribute to a much bigger problem.
The truth is, when you’re trying to build a winning team, you can’t afford to overlook the details. And that brings me to the crucial moment in the Colts’ recent game—the goal-line fumble by Jonathan Taylor. A mistake that seems small on the surface, but it ended up having a massive impact on the game. You have a freak-show run from Jonathan Taylor, breaking through the Denver Broncos’ defense, making a huge play, and putting the team in position to score. But then, just half a yard from the end zone, the ball slips out of his hands and rolls out of bounds for a touchback. It’s one of those moments that feels like a symbol of the Colts’ larger issues.
If you look at the situation—the score, the stakes—it’s clear that this fumble changed everything. The momentum completely shifted. After that mistake, the Broncos went on to finish the game in dominant fashion, sealing a 24-0 run. It’s not just about the fumble, though. It’s the accumulation of these kinds of mistakes that define the Colts’ season. They’ve got talent. There’s no doubt about that. Taylor is one of the best running backs in the league, and Anthony Richardson is a freak athlete who can do things that most players can’t. But all this talent means nothing if the little things aren’t taken care of.
It’s easy to look at the talent and say the Colts should be better. They’ve invested heavily in key positions. But as I’ve mentioned before, it’s the small details that often make or break a team. Culture is something that takes time to build, and right now, it feels like the Colts are missing that. The drop of a ball, the late arrivals to meetings, the lack of focus—it’s these things that eventually catch up to you, especially when you’re in a must-win game like they were against the Broncos.
The talent is there, no doubt. Jonathan Taylor was running like a beast, Anthony Richardson was making plays, the offensive line was blocking well, and the defense had some great moments. But all these talents can’t mask the fact that the Colts need more attention to the small things—the discipline, the consistency, the little details that all add up over the course of a season.
The Colts are at a crossroads right now. They have enough talent to compete, but they need to fix their culture. They need to focus on the small things. They need to improve their attention to detail, because these little mistakes, like a fumble at the goal line, can cost you a game—and ultimately, a season. If they can get this right, the Colts could be a dangerous team. But if they don’t, it’s going to be another year of missed opportunities.
