AFC South

Indianapolis Colts head coach Jeff Saturday announced Matt Ryan will remain the team's starting quarterback in the aftermath of Monday night's 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"Matt's gonna continue being the guy," Saturday told reporters.

Ryan completed 22 of his 34 throws for 199 yards with one touchdown and one interception as the Colts fell to 4-7-1. He also rushed for 22 yards and lost a fumble. Indianapolis' offense finished with just 290 total yards.

Lackluster quarterback play is a major reason the Colts are beginning to fade from the AFC playoff race.

Indianapolis acquired Ryan, the 2016 NFL MVP, from the Atlanta Falcons with hope he could solve the QB issues that have plagued the team since Andrew Luck's retirement in 2019.

After a stretch of mediocre play from the 37-year-old Boston College product, former Colts head coach Frank Reich announced the team would move forward with 2021 sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger as its starter for the remainder of the campaign.

After Saturday replaced Reich following a Week 9 loss to the New England Patriots, he placed Ryan back in the starting lineup.

Neither quarterback has delivered, as the Colts have thrown just 11 passing touchdowns in 12 games.

"It's frustrating. There's no doubt about it," Ryan told reporters. "... It's one thing one week, it's another thing another week, it's another thing another week, and that part has been frustrating for sure. I think all of us in the building feel that way and are disappointed with where we're at."

The Colts aren't eliminated from postseason contention, but their remaining schedule doesn't do them any favors.

They play three of their next four games on the road against the Dallas Cowboys (8-3), Minnesota Vikings (9-2) and New York Giants (7-4). Their only home game during that stretch comes against the Los Angeles Chargers (6-5).

Indy does wrap up the regular season with a highly winnable home clash with the Houston Texans (1-9-1), but it's going to take a herculean effort to remain in the playoff mix at that point.

If the Colts are going to put together a massive turnaround, it'll have to start with much better play from Ryan and the offense down the stretch.

Clock management may not be a strength for Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday.

Trailing 24-17 with all three timeouts, the Colts got the ball back with 3:52 remaining in the fourth quarter in Monday night's matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They faced a tough task, taking over at their 7-yard line, but drove to the Pittsburgh 37 to face 4th-and-3 with two minutes to play.

Indianapolis converted, but the issue was that Saturday and the Colts failed to manage the clock. Matt Ryan was strip-sacked by Alex Highsmith on the next play and then scrambled for 14 yards on second down. The seconds continued to drain away until Saturday called his first timeout following an unsuccessful running play on 3rd-and-3. That left the Colts with only 30 seconds to spare.

The poor clock management became less relevant when Ryan's fourth-down pass for Parris Campbell fell incomplete. But it nonetheless caught the eye of NFL Twitter, and the responses were not sympathetic:

Awful clock management to be clear. https://t.co/3meL1BI4eR

— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) November 29, 2022

Jeff Saturday having three timeouts and letting a minute bleed off the clock pic.twitter.com/R9sJqdX0E1

— br_betting (@br_betting) November 29, 2022

Saturday let the clock roll like he didn’t have a timeout left.

Honestly do NOT get it.

— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) November 29, 2022

Jeff Saturday is just going to keep those timeouts for next Sunday.

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 29, 2022

Someone just told Jeff Saturday about timeouts.

— Dejan Kovacevic (@Dejan_Kovacevic) November 29, 2022

You're not going to have enough time to get the ball back Saturday, CALL YOUR TIMEOUTS MY GOODNESS MAN

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 29, 2022

This clock management. Sheesh

— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) November 29, 2022

Jeff Saturday going with the Todd Bowles clock management strategy here

— Luke Easterling (@LukeEasterling) November 29, 2022

Jeff Saturday’s clock management is exactly what I’d expect for a head coach with no prior experience in his third game at the helm

— Ethan Cadeaux (@Ethan_Cadeaux) November 29, 2022

pic.twitter.com/0ofqS3ibmC

— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) November 29, 2022

Saturday defended his timeout usage, or lack thereof.

"I thought we had plenty of time. I wasn't too concerned," he told reporters about allowing 30 seconds to tick away after Ryan's scramble. "We had plenty of timeouts. This wasn't a press for time."

Jeff Saturday on not using timeouts on the Colts' final drive:

"I didn't really think that time was of the essence."

🎥: @CBSSportsHQpic.twitter.com/ZffCokEb6D

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 29, 2022

Still, ending a one-score game with two timeouts isn't ideal. The Colts, had they converted on fourth down, wouldn't have had much time to work with.

It's the sort of moment that critics of Saturday's hiring after Frank Reich was fired—given that Saturday had no head coaching experience in the NFL or college—will point to as justification for their skepticism.

Granted, the Colts might not have been in need of a game-tying drive if they had been less dreadful in the first half, which ended with the Steelers up 16-3. And while Ryan was far better in the second half, leading the team on two scoring drives, he still finished 22-of-34 for 199 yards and a touchdown with an interception, a lost fumble inside the Pittsburgh 5-yard line and three sacks.

The Colts, now 4-7-1, couldn't afford to let a game like this slip away. They may need to win out to even have a chance at the postseason.

The finer details, especially in endgame scenarios, are incredibly important in the NFL. A failure to convert a key fourth down ended the game, but Saturday's clock management leading up to that play justifiably raised eyebrows.

Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Todd Downing was arrested in Williamson County, Tennessee, early Friday morning after the team's 27-17 win over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.

According to the Williamson County Sheriff's Department (h/t NFL Network's Ian Rapoport), Downing was charged with DUI and speeding.

Rapoport noted Downing posted bond near 7 a.m. local time Friday morning.

Per the arrest information provided by Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, Downing was pulled over at 3:49 a.m. local time and officially booked at 4:39 a.m. local time.

Per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk, the Titans' team flight left Green Bay at 12:15 a.m. Central time and landed in Nashville at 2:11 a.m. Central time. According to Florio, there has been no indication of when Downing would have consumed alcohol, but he noted the NFL has "very strict rules regarding teams making alcohol available to players and coaches."

According to McCormick, the NFL's personal conduct policy states a first-time DUI offense could be punishable by a three-game suspension without pay.

The Titans have yet to comment on the situation. McCormick noted head coach Mike Vrabel is scheduled to meet with the media over Zoom at 11:30 a.m. Central time.

Tennessee had season highs in points (27), total yards (408) and passing yards (320) in Thursday's win over the Packers. The victory moved the team's record to 7-3, tied with the Miami Dolphins for the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

Downing is in his fourth season on the Titans coaching staff. Tennessee hired him as the tight ends coach before the 2019 season. Vrabel promoted him to offensive coordinator in 2021 after Arthur Smith left to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL.com's Tom Pelissero mentioned Downing, 42, on Thursday among young NFL head coaching candidates to watch ahead of the 2023 offseason.

This season marks Downing's 20th consecutive year coaching in the NFL. He has previously worked for the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings.

Josh Lambo's lawsuit against the Jacksonville Jaguars was dismissed with prejudice by Florida 4th Circuit Court Judge Gilbert Feltel Jr. last week, according to Mark Long of the Associated Press.

Lambo, a former punter for the Jaguars, was seeking damages and back pay after accusing former head coach Urban Meyer of causing him emotional distress and the Jaguars of having a hostile workplace environment.

In December 2021, Lambo told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that Meyer kicked him during a training camp practice in August of that year.

"I'm in a lunge position. Left leg forward, right leg back," Lambo said. "Urban Meyer, while I'm in that stretch position, comes up to me and says, 'Hey, Dips--t, make your f--king kicks!' And kicks me in the leg."

"It certainly wasn't as hard [a kick] as he could've done it, but it certainly wasn't a love tap," he continued. "Truthfully, I'd register it as a five [out of 10]. Which in the workplace, I don't care if it's football or not, the boss can't strike an employee. And for a second, I couldn't believe it actually happened. Pardon my vulgarity, I said, ‘Don't you ever f--king kick me again!' And his response was: 'I'm the head ball coach. I'll kick you whenever the f--k I want.'"

The Jaguars sought to have Lambo's case thrown out, arguing he was released for performance-related reasons in October 2021 and not because he spoke out against Meyer or the team. Lambo countered that he informed Jacksonville's legal department of the kick by Meyer and therefore his lawsuit fell under Florida’s Whistleblower Act.

The team also argued that Lambo's lawsuit "fails to show Meyer’s actions were committed within the scope of his employment or ratified by the team."

Meyer was fired with cause by the Jaguars in December 2021, just 13 games into his tenure as head coach and mere hours after Stroud's story—which included Lambo's accusations—went public. The firing hadn't come as a surprise, as a number of controversies had tainted Meyer's tenure as head coach even before Lambo's allegations went public.

Lambo's attorney, Betsy Brown, said Wednesday she intends to revise and resubmit her client's lawsuit.

Shaquille Leonard's injury-plagued 2022 season has come to an end.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Indianapolis Colts linebacker had season-ending back surgery on Tuesday with the hope this "procedure fixes his issue for good."

Leonard only played in three games this season because of injuries. He missed the first three games with a back issue. The 27-year-old made his 2022 debut in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans but left in the second quarter with a concussion.

After missing three weeks, Leonard returned against the Washington Commanders on Oct. 30. He only played a combined 58 snaps in the next two games combined. The Colts ruled him out of Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders with back and ankle injuries.

Tuesday's procedure marks the second back surgery for Leonard in five months. He had one in June to address two of his spinal discs that were putting pressure on the nerves leading into his left leg.

The procedure didn't work as expected, causing him to keep having issues that limited his availability during the season.

"The past two games, I see myself moving around better, but it’s still not there," Leonard told The Athletic's Jason Boyd last week. "That nerve still isn’t firing into my calf, so it’s just a lot of film study. I think that’s the reason why I can play today is because of how much film that I’ve watched, and I gotta put myself into position to make a play because I know I’m a step behind."

Leonard has been one of the NFL's best linebackers over the past four seasons. He was a second-round pick by the Colts in 2018 and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 163 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

The South Carolina State product was named to the All-Pro team in each of his first four seasons, including three first-team selections. He signed the richest deal for a linebacker in the NFL in August 2021 when the Colts gave him $98.5 million over five years.

Indianapolis Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday was juggling more than just preparation for the Las Vegas Raiders during his first week in the new position.

ESPN's Stephen Holder reported one staff member of the franchise called it a "clown show" under owner Jim Irsay, who has been met with skepticism and frustration at times this season. The shocking hiring of Saturday only exacerbated that, although the head coach managed to navigate the situation and lead the Colts to a win over the Raiders.

To say the decision to hire Saturday came as a surprise following the firing of Frank Reich would be quite the understatement. After all, his only coaching experience came at the high school level in Georgia, and he was recently working at ESPN as a commentator and for the team as a consultant.

He is a franchise legend from his time as a six-time Pro Bowl center, though, which helped him recognize how trying the situation was for the players.

"The fatigue on these guys has to be insane," Saturday said. "From the emotional fatigue, the physical fatigue of where we are in the season—all of those things."

While the coach deserves credit for how he handled things and drew praise from quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Jonathan Taylor, among others, the frustration with Irsay extends beyond the decision that general manager Chris Ballard said led to a "spirited" debate.

Holder noted those feelings date back to January when the owner publicly suggested it was time to end the Carson Wentz experiment at quarterback. The fear was such comments would decrease the trade value the Colts could get in return for the signal-caller, who they eventually moved to the Washington Commanders for two draft picks.

What's more, Irsay's influence in the decision to bench Ryan for the young and unproved Sam Ehlinger led to more tension within the organization.

Saturday went back to Ryan on Sunday, and the veteran responded by going 21-of-28 for 222 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions while even adding 38 yards and a score on the ground.

The 4-5-1 Colts are now not far behind the 5-4 New England Patriots in the race for the final AFC wild-card spot. A playoff run under Saturday would certainly help Irsay justify the move, but the owner apparently still has some work to do to improve his reputation within the organization.

Jeff Saturday spent all week hearing about why he was unqualified to be the Indianapolis Colts' head coach.

Then he subsequently went on the road and won his first NFL game. The Colts' 25-20 win over the Las Vegas Raiders left Saturday feeling even more confident to push back at his critics.

"I love coaches," Saturday told Peter King of NBC Sports. "I get why people question this. But for the last week, I'm watching all the coaches on our staff, and these super-smart people with very defined roles are doing things so well, and I'm so impressed. It was like watching an orchestra."

Saturday and Colts owner Jim Irsay faced a tsunami of criticism in the six days between the interim coach's hiring and Sunday's win over the Raiders. Much of the focus was on Saturday's lack of experience, as Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher said it was a "disgrace to the coaching profession."

Saturday told King in response to Cowher's comments:

"I respect his opinion, you know? Here's the thing. God is my defender, man. I don't have to defend myself. I am absolutely comfortable in who I am. I respect all those guys. Whoever has whatever negative opinion, I can assure you, it's not gonna change who I am or what I believe I'm called to do. I have no idea, and I still don't, how successful I'll be, but we're gonna work hard at it and I believe I can lead men and lead the staff. I'm excited about the opportunity."

Former NFL lineman Joe Thomas called the hire "disrespectful" and categorized Saturday as Irsay's "drinking buddy." Saturday pushed back on the notion any alcoholic beverages were involved in Irsay's decision to hire him:

"I can assure you, I have never gone drinking with Jim. I don't even know that Jim drinks. I don't drink very much either. I don't know Joe. I'm not worried about what Joe thinks about me or anybody else. Like I told you, the Lord will defend. I feel like I've been called to do it, so I made the decision to do it. Again, no disrespect to either of those men. They are who they are and said what they said. It will not sway me."

The Colts looked like a more motivated team under Saturday, scoring nearly as many points (25) as they had during their three-game losing streak (29). Some of that can be attributed to Matt Ryan's return to the starting quarterback job and a healthy Jonathan Taylor.

That said, it's impossible to argue with Saturday's results one game into his coaching career.

The Las Vegas Raiders reached a new low on Sunday, losing to an Indianapolis Colts team that has an interim head coach who had never led a college or NFL team prior to the game.

Jeff Saturday, whose coaching experience didn't go beyond the high school level, outcoached Josh McDaniels as the Colts defeated the Raiders 25-20. With the loss, Las Vegas fell to 2-7 this season.

Saturday had been working as an ESPN analyst prior to being hired to replace Frank Reich. When Saturday took over, the team didn't have an experienced play-caller on its coaching staff after the firing of offensive coordinator Marcus Brady.

In his coaching debut, Saturday provided Indianapolis with an identity on both sides of the ball centered around the run game. The Colts totaled 207 yards on the ground while limiting the Raiders to just 77 rushing yards. Star running back Jonathan Taylor led the way with 147 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.

NFL Twitter unleashed on the Raiders for their upset loss to the Colts and their first-time head coach on Sunday:

The #Raiders are going to lose, 25-20, to the Jeff Saturday-led Colts at home and fall to 2-7.

This is an unmitigated disaster for Josh McDaniels and everyone associated with the franchise.

— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) November 14, 2022

Jeff Saturday > Josh McDaniels

— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) November 14, 2022

Jeff Saturday beating Josh McDaniels proves that the only thing worse than hiring with absolutely zero coaching experience is hiring someone with experience coaching under Bill Belichick

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) November 14, 2022

Lol Raiders just lost to a coach plucked off the streets less than a week ago.

Josh McDaniels ain’t it.

— Zach Dean (@TeamZachDean) November 14, 2022

Jeff Saturday came off the street and beat the Raiders. Embarrassing

— Antwan V. Staley (@antwanstaley) November 14, 2022

Colts at Raiders pits a coach totally in over his head versus Jeff Saturday.

— Sam Farmer (@LATimesfarmer) November 13, 2022

rrrrrrough L for Josh McDaniels 😬

— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) November 14, 2022

This is not a good look for Josh McDaniels.

— Andrew Perloff (@andrewperloff) November 14, 2022

Josh McDaniels has lost 24 of his last 31 games as an NFL head coach. #Raiders

— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) November 14, 2022

Maybe everyone focusing on how unlikable Josh McDaniels was in his first time as a head coach actually gave him cover for how bad of a coach he is https://t.co/VK4kobscal

— Mike Vorkunov (@MikeVorkunov) November 14, 2022

Jeff Saturday is out-coaching Josh McDaniels.

— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) November 13, 2022

Jeff Saturday is already a better head coach than Josh McDaniels

— Tommy Smokes (@TomScibelli) November 13, 2022

Jeff Saturday’s play calling sheet and he’s still out coaching McDaniels. #LVvsIND #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/zdeEDNzWnK

— Alan Morton (@tuttobene31) November 13, 2022

If the Raiders lose to Jeff Saturday, we can expect Josh McDaniels to get canned right?

— lindsey ok (@lindseyyok) November 13, 2022

Maaan You can’t lose to Jeff Saturday on a Sunday and NOT get fired on a Monday!!

— Baby Bash (@BabyBash) November 13, 2022

The Raiders were expected to be one of the more competitive teams in the AFC after the acquisition of star wide receiver Davante Adams. However, the team's offense hasn't clicked, the defense hasn't been strong, either, and McDaniels may be on the hot seat just nine games into his tenure as Raiders head coach.

Las Vegas will look to bounce back when it visits the Denver Broncos (3-6) in a division matchup next Sunday.

When Jeff Saturday was named interim head coach of the Indianapolis Colts last week, there were obvious sacrifices he would have to make as he transitioned from an ESPN analyst to NFL coach.

One of those sacrifices was his fantasy football team. CBS reporter Melanie Collins revealed during Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders that he gave up control of his fantasy team to former NFL wide receiver Eric Decker:

Great story by @Melanie_Collins just now on new Colts head coach Jeff Saturday: Saturday had to relinquish his fantasy football team after becoming a head coach.

So, Saturday turned to former NFL WR Eric Decker, who will manage Saturday's squad the rest of the way.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) November 13, 2022

There was no word on whether Decker was taking over a team rife with dysfunction as Saturday did with the Colts.

Saturday, who had never coached beyond the high school level, inherited a 3-5-1 squad that didn't have an experienced play-caller on its staff after the firings of head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Marcus Brady. Colts owner Jim Irsay's bizarre press conference in which he defended the hiring of Saturday didn't help matters, either.

Brandin Cooks will return for the Houston Texans on Sunday, but the team has removed his captaincy heading into Week 10, per Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The veteran receiver was disappointed he wasn't traded ahead of last week's deadline, leading to him sitting out in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles due to personal reasons. On Thursday, he said he was hoping to go to a contender.

"For me personally, I just at the end of the day want to win and compete now," Cooks said, per DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. "That's been my thought process."

The 1-6-1 Texans are set to face the New York Giants on Sunday.

Cooks is off to a slow start individually this season, totaling 32 catches for 354 yards and one score through seven games. His 50.6 yards per game are his second-worst in his career, and his 11.1 yards per catch is his lowest since his rookie year in 2014.

The 29-year-old has been productive throughout his career, reaching at least 1,000 yards in six seasons with four different teams.

Last season, Cooks tallied 90 catches for 1,037 yards and six scores, leading to a two-year extension with Houston this offseason worth $39.6 million.

Unfortunately, the contract might have limited the trade market.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported, teams stayed away from Cooks due to his $18 million guaranteed salary for 2023.

It resulted in Cooks staying with the Texans, although his role with the team is now in question after his recent comments.

Even if he helps the squad on the field, it's hard to be a leader when you don't want to be there. Cooks will no longer serve as the captain as the Texans look for other players to step up in the locker room.