Indianapolis, IN
Shane Steichen Lifts Lid on ‘Secret Ingredient’ for Colts’ Offense
As their playoff hopes are on the line, the Indianapolis Colts must have all hands on deck on both sides of the ball ahead of their must-win contest vs. the Denver Broncos. Both teams come in rested off a Week 14 bye to get them extra prepared for what one expects to be one of the better matchups in the league this Sunday.
The Colts enter the showdown as an underdog in the fight, as the red-hot Broncos are at home, fresh off a three-game win streak and some extended time to prepare. If they want to take a win back to Indianapolis, they’ll have to be an efficient and effective machine on both sides of the ball– especially when it concerns their run game.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen spoke to the media on Friday while gearing his squad to travel to Denver, revealing what he thought the “secret ingredient” is to unlock their rushing attack down the stretch of the season.
“I think it’s creating the big explosive plays when you have the opportunity,” Steichen said. “Sometimes it may be one block away from creating the big [run], or just one little gap, or seeing it, or one vision, a cut, or whatever it may be. But, again, it comes back to myself and our coaches putting those guys in a position to create those big plays.”
What happens next for the Colts? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!
The Colts’ rushing offense has taken care of business through the first 13 games of the year, but still stand a bit of a distance away from their true ceiling. Indianapolis ranks 14th in the NFL for rushing yards and touchdowns on the ground, also being 12th in yards per attempt and 19th for carries.
With a two-headed monster of Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor in the backfield, having a dominant rushing attack is a script that plays extremely well in this offense’s favor. The Colts have been mainly efficient in their opportunities this season at 4.4 yards per carry. Yet, if Indianapolis wants to make a serious bid to the playoffs, they must lean into their strengths more in the final four weeks of their season.
Taylor has yet to reach the heights of his 2021 campaign when he led the league in total rushing yards, attempts, and touchdowns, but he’s been solid when on the field this season. In 9 games, he’s posted 804 yards and 5 touchdowns for an average of 4.3 yards a carry.
If the Colts can get glimpses of the explosiveness the Wisconsin product showed just three years ago, this offense will be in good shape for the remainder of the season, yet seeing that happen is much easier said than done.
Taylor will have a perfect chance to make a huge statement on Sunday when the Colts travel to Mile High to face the Broncos.
Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!
Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.
Indianapolis, IN
Highlights: Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter; February 27, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — “The Zone” featured highlights from eight high school boys basketball games from across central Indiana on Friday.
Watch highlights of Tri-West at Cardinal Ritter above.
Final Score: Tri-West 65 Cardinal Ritter 62
“The Zone” airs each Friday at 11:08 p.m. Click here to watch ‘The Zone’ for basketball highlights on February 27, 2026.
Indianapolis, IN
New bridge over 96th Street adds to Nickel Plate Trail connections
FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — The Nickel Plate Trail pedestrian bridge over 96th Street is officially open.
It was being touted Friday as a major milestone for central Indiana’s growing trail system. The street is the Fishers-Indianapolis border.
Leaders called the project a critical connection point for the Nickel Plate Trail. The new bridge helps move the nearly 17-mile trail closer to its goal of connecting multiple counties through one continuous path.
The bridge also came with a 1.3-mile trail extension. A $4.5 million grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources made the bridge possible.
Dale Brier, deputy director of Indiana Department of Natural Resources, talked about the state’s Next Level Trails grant program. “Currently, we have 89 trail projects that that were funded with that money. Fifty-nine of those are complete. We’ve got 12 under construction. As of this opening, we have 167 miles of trail that have now been opened with that grant money.”
People who frequently take the trail for their daily exercises say they’re excited the bridge is finally open.
Alan Errichiello of the Fishers Running Club said, “Extending this down south into Indianapolis is a big game changer for us. It’ll add a lot of miles that we can easily get into.”
Resident Tracy Mundell said, “Trying to get to the other side was nearly impossible, so I think most people didn’t even attempt it. It’s going to be great, we can get over to the other side, and I’m anxious to see what’s over there.”
The final portion of the project, called the Clear Path project, remains under construction.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness, a Republican, said, “We need to double-down on that investment, and we know time and time again here in the city of Fishers that trail systems, the ability to get up and get out and get active, is such an important part in our culture of health, that an investment like this is critical.”
Once complete, local leaders say the goal is to provide a more safe and connected routes between Noblesville, Fishers, Indianapolis and other surrounding cities.
Resident Steve Mundell said, “It’s lovely. It’ll be real convenient to get across too.”
Indianapolis, IN
Good and bad from Colts’ 2026 NFLPA report card grades
What grades did the Indianapolis Colts earn on the 2026 NFLPA report cards?
The NFLPA is no longer able to make their annual report cards public. However, ESPN’s Kayln Kahler was able to obtain a copy of the reports following the 2025 NFL season, and the Indianapolis Colts were again around the middle of the pack.
In these report cards, players rate numerous aspects of the organizations they play for, from ownership to the training facilities and everything in between. According to Kahler, 1,759 players contributed to these grades.
So, where did the Colts end up this year relative to the rest of the NFL this year?
Overall, the Colts ranked 17th. Below is a breakdown of each individual grade they received.
- Treatment of Families: B
- Home Game Field: D
- Food/Dining Area: B
- Nutritionist/Dietician: A-
- Locker Room: C+
- Training Room: B
- Training Staff: B+
- Weight Room: B
- Strength Coaches: A
- Position Coaches: B
- Offensive Coordinator: B
- Defensive Coordinator: B+
- Special Teams Coordinator: B+
- Team Travel: B-
- Head Coach: A-
- General Manager: A
- Team Ownership: A
Of note, although the Colts haven’t been to the postseason in five years, Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard both received high marks.
Carlie Irsay Gordon, Kalen Jackson, and Casey Foyt earned an A in their first year as the primary owners.
The field at Lucas Oil Stadium received a very low mark, earning a D, while the locker room was given a C+. Those were the two lowest grades the Colts received.
Compared to the 2025 rankings, the Colts moved up two spots this year, after coming in at 19th last year.
The biggest jumps the Colts experienced came in the Food/Dining grade, which went from a C to a B. The Team travel grade also jumped from a D+ to a B-.
-
World2 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts3 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Montana1 week ago2026 MHSA Montana Wrestling State Championship Brackets And Results – FloWrestling
-
Louisiana5 days agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Denver, CO3 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Technology7 days agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Technology7 days agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
Politics7 days agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT