The New England Patriots put an end to the Frank Reich era in Indianapolis.
Less than 24 hours after they were blown out by the Patriots 26-3 at Gillette Stadium, the Colts announced Monday they had “parted ways” with Reich.
Reich was midway through his fifth season as Indy’s head coach. The Colts were viewed as strong playoff contenders after replacing quarterback Carson Wentz with Matt Ryan this offseason, but they’ve been one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments thus far, limping to a 3-5-1 record and fielding arguably the league’s worst offense.
Nine weeks in, the Colts rank dead last in points per game (14.7) and near the bottom in most other offensive categories. Reich, a former NFL QB who called Indianapolis’ offensive plays, tried to revive that unit by benching Ryan for untested second-year pro Sam Ehlinger and firing offensive coordinator Marcus Brady, but neither move had the desired effect.
Five days after dismissing Brady, the Colts allowed nine sacks, threw a pick-six and scored just three points in a loss at New England, with an overmatched Ehlinger passing for just 103 yards on 29 attempts behind a woeful offensive line.
“It was a poor performance, especially on offense,” Reich said after the game. “… The offensive performance, that’s why I was brought here. That’s my responsibility. We’ve got the players. We’ve got the players that are plenty good enough. I have to do a better job.”
Reich posted a record of 40-33-1 with Indianapolis, making the playoffs twice but failing to win a postseason game.
The Colts, who have yet to announce who will succeed Reich as interim head coach, will visit the similarly disappointing 2-6 Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday.
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