Mina Kimes Thinks Shane Steichen, Anthony Richardson, And The Indianapolis Colts Are Headed For A Big Year

Getty Image / Todd Rosenberg

Last year’s Indianapolis Colts season was a strange one. The team battled plenty of injuries all year, notably to starting rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, but managed to finish 9-8, just outside of the NFL playoffs.

With a healthy Anthony Richardson this year and Head Coach Shane Steichen in his second year in charge, the Colts are definitely a sleeper team in the AFC.  ESPN’s Mina Kimes is definitely buying in.

Kimes, who was recently involved in a dust-up with OutKick’s Clay Travis that centered around politics, is one of the most-respected NFL analysts out there. And, she’s way in on Shane Steichen and the Colts due to Steichen’s exceptional playcalling abilities. Take a look.

There’s a lot to like about the Indianapolis Colts, especially on offense.

As I said before, Steichen is one of the league’s best playcallers. The Philadelphia Eagles’ offense took a huge step back last year after Indy hired him due to his success as the Eagles offensive coordinator. His ability to scheme not just in the passing game but in the run game and then use that for successful play action is really impressive and makes things pretty easy for his guys.

The strength of the offense is up front, as they have one of the NFL’s best lines led by arguably the league’s best lineman in left guard Quenton Nelson. Bernard Raimann has developed in a solid left tackle, right tackle Braden Smith is one of the league’s best, and center Ryan Kelly is a rock-solid starter, as well. Will Fries at right guard is the weak link, but overall it’s one of the best groups in the league.

The skill players are talented, as well. Michael Pittman Jr. is one of the most underrated receivers in the league, and young speedsters in second-year WR Josh Downs and rookie first-round Adonai Mitchell are going to stretch defenses and keep safeties out of the box. Tight end is a bit of a hole, but overall it’s a strong group.

It’s all going to come down to how much of a jump Anthony Richardson makes. He missed most of last year with injuries including a concussion and sprained AC joint, only playing in four games. He showed flashes, completing 50 out of 84 passes for 577 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding 136 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. If he can progress the same way that Jalen Hurts did under Shane Steichen, the Indianapolis Colts could be cooking with gas.

They open up their season Sept. 8 against the Houston Texans.