DeForest Buckner lit up the Indianapolis Colts on Monday.
After they fell to the New York Giants on Sunday, which officially eliminated them from the postseason race, it’s easy to understand why.
“I’m going to be honest, as the entire team, we s**t the bed another year and it’s frustrating,” he said, via the Indianapolis Star. “I can see what we have. It’s just we’re not getting over that hump.”
The Colts fell to 7-9 on the season after Sunday’s loss, which came at the hands of the spiraling Giants. Indianapolis allowed Drew Lock to throw for more than 300 yards and four touchdowns, and the Giants put up 45 points in the shootout win despite entering the contest with the worst offense in the league. It was the most points they’ve allowed all season, and the most points they’ve given up to the Giants since 1950.
The loss marked the third time in the last four seasons that the Colts have failed in a must-win situation when it comes to the playoffs. They have won just a single playoff game in the last decade.
Former Colts punter and current ESPN analyst Pat McAfee railed into the organization on social media after the loss on Sunday, too.
“A blind person could see the red flags on this team,” he wrote, in part.
I’ve said what I believed to be the truth about the team.. & a bunch of “Colts fans” on the internet were trying to get me booed out of the city..
Current players, who have won nothing during their entire tenures, started using me and my face to try and paint me as the enemy in… https://t.co/qCWb7SL1l8
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 30, 2024
There’s plenty to point to when it comes to the Colts’ issues this season. Quarterback Anthony Richardson struggled early on, and actually subbed himself out of a game at one point because he was tired, before Joe Flacco came in to replace him due to various injuries. Another perfect example came when running back Jonathan Taylor committed a brutal mistake earlier this month when he fumbled inches before crossing the goal line, blowing what would’ve been a surefire touchdown. Just about everyone from last year’s team that went 9-8 returned this season, the second under coach Shane Steichen, but they clearly took a step back.
Buckner, who is wrapping up his fifth season with the franchise, joined in on calls for changes this offseason. Whether that includes Steichen or general manager Chris Ballard — who is in his eighth season but has just a single playoff win and only two winning campaigns under his belt — remains to be seen.
“There’s obviously going to be people that are going to still be in the building, people that are not,” Buckner said. “Changes are going to need to be made, you know what I mean? I understand that, and we all understand that in the building. You’ve got to make those changes for the better.”
The Colts will wrap up the regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, though that game doesn’t matter much now.
“Every year, every team is different,” Taylor said on Sunday, . “Next week, that’ll be the last time that all 53 guys are in that locker room.
“That’s the reality of the business. But when you have a season and it doesn’t turn out how you want, it could be more changes than usual.”
