Another close game, another loss, another Steichen head scratcher; what’s new?

The Colts did almost everything they needed to do to upset the Kansas City Chiefs. But again, they came up short. Because the Colts, losers of nine straight, are the Colts.

MY COUCH, Ind. – After all this time, I think it’s a Shane Steichen issue. Not just because the Colts have now lost nine straight games, three of those with the carbon-dated Philip Rivers behind center but because of Sunday night and the way the Colts lost, 33-30, in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Carlie Irsay-Gordon insisted it was time to “find a way,” but here we are in the fourth season of Steichen’s tenure, and he still can’t quite figure it out, especially when the game is on the razor’s edge, .

Which is strange because he’s a fine play designer and caller, an offensive savant, and on this particular night, he led the Alec Pierce-less Colts to 30 points against a Chiefs team that swallowed Denver whole one week earlier.

But when it comes down to the nitty-gritty (football term), Steichen often finds creative new ways to blow it.

First, let me tell you about a decision I had absolutely no trouble with:

That was the choice to let Kansas City take the ball first after the Colts won the coin toss – although there seemed to be some confusion, as is often the case with this team.

I get it. I do. You don’t want Patrick Mahomes to get the ball second and have four downs to go down the field and likely score, given the Colts’ porous defense. By taking the ball second, the Colts knew what they needed to do – field goal to tie, touchdown to win. Made sense.

According to ESPN Research, since the league changed the overtime rules to give both teams at least one possession in overtime, 12 of 17 teams who’ve won the coin toss have deferred and kicked to the opposition. In those game, teams are 4-7-1. The Jets, who took the ball first Sunday in their overtime loss to Packers, became the fifth team to win the toss and elect to get the ball first. Those teams are 2-3.

So…tomato, tom-ah-to.

I don’t take any issue with that call.

Here’s what I don’t get. With more than four minutes remaining in overtime, Daniel Jones found Laquon Treadwell deep and, after a fortuitous review, the Colts were set up at the Chiefs’ 17-yard line. That’s where the mad genius overthought himself and let his well-founded fear of Mahomes overtake common sense. He was so afraid of giving Mahomes the ball back with time remaining in the 10-minute overtime, he went into a shell and ran Jonathan Taylor twice against loaded boxes, resulting in losses of one and two yards. After a beautifully called offensive game, Steichen stepped in it.

Want to run on first down? OK. Fine. Taylor is the Colts’ best player, and in the past, we’ve skewered Steichen for failing to rely on his star running back in key moments.

Run it on second-and-long? Not OK.

“I was trying to finish the game with JT, with the ball in his hands,” Steichen said after the game. “Obviously, we ran it there on first down. Ran it again on second down…I think in that situation, we wanted it to be the last possession for us. We were going to run it there in that situation and let JT win it there at the end.”

Huh?

There were four minutes and change remaining as Indy took over at the 17. The Colts needed a touchdown to win it. No way were they going to milk four minutes off the clock with that much time remaining, two Kansas City timeouts and the two minute warning. Just a minute earlier, they were aggressive, throwing deep to Treadwell, who was forced to play with Pierce out and Ashton Dulin inactive with an injury. Did they think they could take it down to 30 seconds and punch it in with Taylor?

This is what fear does. This is what fear of Mahomes does. The Colts were so concerned about being limited to a field goal and giving Mahomes three-plus minutes to answer, they went into a self-imposed shell, and the result? It was everything Steichen feared. Mahomes, who is now 8-0 in overtime games, got the ball, the Chiefs mounted yet another drive and won it on Harrison Butker’s 40-yard field goal with time expiring.

The Colts and Steichen actually considered going for it on fourth-and-8 from the Chiefs’ 15-yard line rather than kick the game-tying field goal, but when Jones didn’t get the defensive look he wanted, the Colts elected to kick the field goal.

“Yeah, if we had the right look,” Steichen said. “I was like, `Shoot, if you love it, then let’s go at it. Let’s go win this thing.’ But if it’s not the right look, `Shoot, let’s kick the field goal here.’ “

Shoot.

A shame, really.

Because the Colts, who can’t be as bad as they performed last week at home against Baltimore, went toe to toe with the Chiefs. Even with a boatload of injuries – Pierce, Charvarius Ward, Sauce Gardner for a spell – the Colts relied on their depth and got good snaps from the likes of Kapena Gushiken and Hunter Wohler. The Colts gave up more than 500 yards of offense to the Chiefs (523 to be precise), the first time in franchise history they’ve given up 500-plus in two straight games. But still, they were hanging around and had a chance to win it near the end of regulation. But Daniel Jones’ second-and-4 pass to Tyler Warren sailed wide right – he was open – and the Colts couldn’t seize the golden opportunity to put it away at the end of regulation. One down later, Jones was pressured and was forced to throw it away.

Fourth and four at the 49?

Punt.

This is how a team loses nine in a row. Yes, the jumbled quarterback situation last year had a lot to do with the first seven games of this nine-game losing skid, but there were games the Colts should have won during that stretch last season and this game, against Kansas City, was one the Colts had in their hands until they found interesting ways to come up short – again.

It’s been just two games, but the Colts have some serious defensive shortcomings, and if you want to blame Lou Anarumo, I guess you can go ahead and do just that. But notice how every Colts’ defensive coordinators struggles, from Matt Eberflus to Gus Bradley? Could it be that the talented is wanting, that this is a Chris Ballard issue?Indy has two defensive stars, DeForest Buckner and Sauce Gardner, but beyond that, they lack game changers. The secondary, which was expected to be this team’s strength, has gotten ripped two weeks in a row.

For years, the Colts have not been able to cover tight ends, and Sunday night, Travis Kelce turned back the clock and had a huge game, nine catches for 101 yards. One week after getting pounded by Derrick Henry, KC’s Kenneth Walker produced 178 scrimmage yards on 30 touches, killing Indy on the ground and through the air.

In the end, they were right there, ready to pull off the upset. But at the end of an otherwise inspiring performance – no, it’s not a moral victory, although it gives you some hope for the Colts moving forward – Steichen out-thought himself and let his fear of Mahomes color his judgment.

Now comes the 0-2 Houston Texans back at Lucas Oil, a game that will determine this team’s long-term fortunes. It’s a little early for must-win game, but an 0-3 start, even in an AFC South that is struggling, is a hole the Colts are ill-equipped to dig out from – especially if Pierce will be out an extended period of time.

Four years into the Steichen era, the Colts still don’t know how to win close games.

After all this time, they’re still looking to “find a way.”

Same as it ever was.