COLTS HEAD COACH SHANE STEICHEN
Opening Statement:
"I'll start with the injuries – Tre Flowers has a shoulder and Jaylon Jones has a throat. Overall, obviously would love to finish better, but to get a team win right there against a division opponent is huge with two games left. I thought offensively, running the football – 335 (yards) on the ground was phenomenal. Great job by the guys up front. JT (Jonathan Taylor) hitting the home runs. Obviously, Anthony (Richardson) as well. But everyone being involved – the tight ends, receivers. Blocking was huge."
Is Jaylon Jones' injury very serious?
"I don't know. I have no update. I just know it's the throat."
Did you come in thinking you'd run it this many times or how did that play out?
"Yeah, I mean you kind of want to be able to run it every game, but obviously, it was going good. It was going good, and guys were popping it. Credit to our offensive staff – Jim Bob Cooter and Tony (Sparano Jr.) and Tommy (Tom Manning) and all those guys getting it wired up. Phenomenal job by those guys, and obviously, the guys up front, wired up. Then the defense getting the three takeaways was big. To get that takeaway that Kenny (Moore II) had at the end of half, and then to score right there and be able to double dip with obviously getting the ball to start the third quarter was huge."
How did you think about the way Jonathan Taylor responded after last week?
"Phenomenal. I don't think he could have responded any better. He was phenomenal all day."
On the plays where Jonathan Taylor is just outrunning everybody, is that just a glimpse into what your offense can be when you set it up that way?
"100 percent. I think there are going to be games that go like that on the ground and obviously it went really well. I think it was the most in franchise history – rushing yards, right? Yeah, so single-game – that's incredible. So again, it's impressive."
What goes through your mind when you see Jonathan Taylor break away and just have open field in front of him?
"I'm just smiling saying, 'He's gone.' So, it's fun to watch."
What did getting Ryan Kelly back do for you guys, especially against a defensive front that had Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat?
"It's huge to get a veteran guy like that, that's done it at a high level – the communication that he brings, the leadership that he brings up front for us was big for us. And obviously, it showed today."
Did Anthony Richardson throw the pass a little bit late on the interception play?
"I've got to look back at it. It was just the backside safety I think got involved in it."
Did that interception play have any role in the decision to run the ball so much today?
"No, not necessarily. I mean, we did – then we just started popping them. We were running it really good, so it's like when something's working, you're not going to get away from it."
Why did you take Jonathan Taylor out there in the third quarter?
"We were up pretty good and then they got back in it a little bit, so put him back in."
Is that something you regret, maybe taking your foot off the gas a bit?
"Gosh, I've talked to a lot of coaches over the years and kind of how the game was going, our defense was rolling pretty good there too. Then obviously, we were running it pretty good and then they started to get back in it and we don't want that to happen. So, we had to adjust there at the end."
You mentioned you weren't going to get away from the run game and the Titans probably knew you'd run it a lot as the game went on. What does it say about the offensive line and the coaching that you're still able to run it successfully?
"I think just that determination. Knowing that they're giving these eight-man fronts and saying, 'Hey, we're going to drag this thing out – bleed the clock a little bit there.' That's kind of how the game went."
Why do you think there was such a drastic shift defensively at the end that let them back in?
"I don't know. I think they hit the big play. They hit a big play there, but we've got to go back and look at that, so it doesn't happen."
Was this kind of an identity game for you guys?
"Yeah, I think so. Gosh, I think everything was kind of clicking there and those are hard to come by sometimes in this league, but the guys up front offensively were just rolling. I mean it was rolling. I mean we were popping the big ones, and we were close on a few other ones too. So, we knew it was there and obviously we popped up there. So, it was good for our guys to bounce back the way they did after last week."
What was different about Kenny Moore II's game today in getting two interceptions?
"He always plays great. Love everything about Kenny (Moore II), what he brings to this team – his leadership. Obviously, getting that interception right before the half was huge to set the offense up to score points there. Then obviously, to finish it out there was big. So, he did a hell of a job."
You have to win out still to fight for a playoff spot, but you got one. How is this a nice reset after last week?
"I think it's huge. We've got to handle our business. We know that we need some help going forward, but we've got to control what we control, and that's getting ready for the New York Giants."
What did you think about Josh Downs' tightrope catch to kind of break the game open?
"Yeah, that was great – standing right there on the sidelines. I knew he was in, but it was close. To get that touchdown there was huge."
How nice is it that if you're going to run the ball heavily, Anthony Richardson still has a role in that?
"It's big. Obviously, to add that element of his run game into that was huge. He had some good runs for us all day. So, him and JT (Jonathan Taylor) back there is huge."
Do you think the run that popped early greased the wheels for Jonathan Taylor?
"Yeah, it could have. I can't say for sure, but I think everything was kind of rolling there pretty good. So again, credit to offensive coaching staff, offensive line – all those guys."
Why do you think this team has had so many issues tackling this season?
"I don't know. We've got to go look back at it. We'll see the tape on some of those. Some of those, you give credit to the other guys too for making a play, but I'll go back and look at it."
Anthony Richardson has had some misses on throws when guys were open, but on that got-to-have-it play on third-and-eight, to be able to step into that throw and make it accurate, what did that show you?
"That was big time. It was big time. We needed that in that moment to keep the ball there. Threw on rhythm on time. Obviously, threw to Pitt (Michael Pittman Jr.) right there to get the first down was huge."
