The Indianapolis Colts had a disappointing opening performance against the Baltimore Ravens, leaving fans and coach Shane Steichen wondering what went wrong. Colts defensive end DeForest Buckner was blunt afterward, recapping the loss in no uncertain words.

The game included an appearance from Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, but the Colts were unable to send him and the rest of their fans home happy from Lucas Oil Stadium as the Ravens won 41-23.

Coach Shane Steichen spoke to the media afterward, pinning blame on himself and the rest of the team.

“Obviously, it was not good enough, from start to finish,” Steichen said. “We gotta coach better. We gotta play better, in order to get better. We got a long season ahead of us. We gotta clean up the mistakes. We had a lot of them.”

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The Colts' mistakes didn't show up in an obvious way on the stat sheet afterward, suggesting that Steichen may have been pointing to missed assignments, blocks, tackles, and other harder-to-track outcomes. Indianapolis lost one fumble and threw one interception while committing just four penalties on the day.

They recorded less than half of the Ravens' yardage total, as they were outgained 506-251. Running back Jonathan Taylor stood out for Steichen's offense, compiling 98 rushing yards and a touchdown, but quarterback Daniel Jones looked overmatched against Lamar Jackson's team as he failed to pass for 200 yards. Anthony Richardson is now QB2 and could get a shot to replace him at some point.

The Colts have had a lot of ups and downs during Steichen's tenure, and their game against the Ravens did little to make fans think that the 2026 season will bring anything different.

With the Chiefs on the schedule at Arrowhead Stadium on September 20, there is little time for Steichen, Taylor and Jones' team to dwell on their Week 1 loss. A win against the Chiefs would speak volumes that the Colts could be a contender this season, but another frustrating loss could place Steichen squarely on the hot seat as the season continues to unfold.