At every level, the Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1) will attempt to win the trust of the fanbase back when they host the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
Even if the Colts don’t come out with a win against a Chiefs team that looks to be in midseason form, a showing of competitiveness and fire to correct the ship would go a long way. Not many are expecting the Colts to walk away with a win, which might be in a position they’re more comfortable.
From the players to the coaching staff and front office, nearly every member is looking to win the trust of the fanbase back.
After starting the season on one of the worst notes possible, the seats are getting warm for head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard. Do they deserve all of the blame? Certainly not. The players are just as responsible for the putrid product they’ve put on the field to open the season.
But it is Reich and Ballard who have set the course with their roster-building philosophy and gameday decisions.
Even as members on the hot seat, there is still time to turn things around. Coming out with a competitive effort against the Chiefs may not be enough to get the win, but it would be a step in the right direction.
It’s unlikely the Colts are going to continue this egregious downward spiral for the entire season. Reich is too good of a coach for that, and we’ve seen the team in a similar situation before where they wind up either with a winning record or close to breaking even.
However, the start of this season does have a different ring to it. The tipping point was the 24-0 loss on the road in Jacksonville after the team spent all offseason talking about getting revenge. To come out that flatly and uninspired against a team they’ve been thinking about all offseason may just have been the breaking point for the fanbase.
But their jobs—and the season—are still salvageable even though both Reich and Ballard are considered to be on the hot seat.
That all starts Sunday when the Chiefs visit the Colts for the first home game of the season. It all depends on which Colts team shows up.
Will it be a unit desperate to show they still have the fight in them to claw their way out of the deepest trenches in football?
Or will this be another showing of a team that was way overhyped amid an offseason of major changes?
We’ll find out soon enough.
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