Shane Steichen’s seat in Indianapolis is warmer than anything the Tennessee Titans will feel walking into a dome on Sunday. The Colts slid in the major power rankings after a 34-22 loss at Pittsburgh, and the questions around their coach are getting louder.
Titans fans have spent the week arguing about Cam Ward on sports talk radio around Nashville. Here’s what they should know about the team on the other side of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff on FOX at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Shane Steichen’s hot seat
Steichen is in his fourth season and has yet to post a winning record after his first year, going 8-9 in each of the last two. FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano wrote that Indianapolis has “too much talent on offense to continually come up so empty” and that Steichen needs to come up with some answers.
The slide predates this season. Since Week 11 of 2025, the Colts are 2-10, the third-worst mark in the league over that span, according to the Titans website. Only Tennessee and Arizona have been worse.
Sauce Gardner’s effort admission
The Colts paid two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner, and he’s now owning up to a rough stretch. After the London win over Washington, Gardner said, “There were multiple plays where my best effort was not there and that’s not what I stand for,” according to the team site.
The numbers back up the concern. Gardner is allowing 21.7 yards per reception, which ranks 103rd of 104 cornerbacks on Gardner’s PFF player page. We wrote that the Colts’ trade looks worse for it, and Calvin Ridley’s deep speed fits right into that weakness.
A run defense that ranks last
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Indianapolis entered the week with the NFL’s worst run defense by EPA per rush allowed, and we broke down how that has happened under Lou Anarumo. Communication lapses and missed run fits have shown up all season.
The Colts responded by bringing back linebacker Germaine Pratt, who started all 12 games he played for them last year. Weakside linebacker Jaylon Carlies sat out Week 5 with a rib injury, so the Pratt signing is as much about bodies as experience.
Daniel Jones finally protected the ball
Daniel Jones had seven turnovers through four games, second-most among quarterbacks at the time. In Pittsburgh, he went 24 of 44 for 266 yards without an interception, his first turnover-free game of the season.
The trade-off was zero touchdown passes for a second straight week. Jones has three touchdown passes and four interceptions in five starts, and a Titans defense with only two takeaways all season long needs him to slip back into old habits.
