Ex-Colt Jeff Saturday: I would not want to be Reich or Ballard in Irsay's office Monday
Who is at fault for the Indianapolis Colts' 0-1-1 start? Whose responsibility is it to fix it?
Retired Colts center Jeff Saturday says it falls on everybody. Starting today.
"I would not want to be (coach) Frank (Reich) or (general manager) Chris (Ballard) in Jim (Irsay)'s office Monday morning," Saturday said on the "Kevin & Query" show on 107.5 The Fan. "It will not be a kind meeting."
The Colts are coming off a 24-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 1, they needed a 17-point rally to forge a 20-20 tie against the Houston Texans. Those performances against those AFC South opponents is what concerns Saturday most.
Doyel: Colts' loss to Jaguars a failure by Jim Irsay, Frank Reich, Chris Ballard, Matt Ryan
More:NFL observers around the nation react to Colts' stunningly bad start
"It looks like they're the ascending team right now," the ESPN NFL analyst said of the Jaguars. "When you're playing in-division opponents and they're playing that well against you, that gives you pause."
Saturday acknowledged the Colts' issues at wide receiver (playing without injured Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce) and left tackle (rotating Matt Pryor and Bernhard Raimann), but he was stunned at the lack of a pass rush the first two weeks.
"The thing that surprised me the most was how comfortable (Jaguars quarterback) Trevor Lawrence looked in the pocket," Saturday said. "He set up camp."
The Colts didn't get near Lawrence, who completed 83% of his passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns. The Colts generated three sacks against the Texans, but none until late in the fourth quarter.
Saturday said it's too early for "hot seat" talk regarding Reich or Ballard. And even if that were to happen, a lot of players would soon follow them out the door.
"Organizations run through players," he said. "They have to take ownership of this thing. It going to have to be from within.
"This thing could get ugly in a hurry. When coaches get fired, players get fired. No one's absolved of poor play."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts: Jeff Saturday discusses poor start against AFC South opponents
