Colts owner Jim Irsay was fired up while watching Indianapolis’ Week 9 game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium and needed to share his frustrations with someone.
That someone proved to be then-NFL analyst Jeff Saturday, who was named the organization’s interim head coach a few days later.
“Saturday, who was a Colts consultant as well as ESPN analyst at the time, received two calls from team owner Jim Irsay that day (Nov. 6),” ESPN’s Stephen Holder wrote, referencing the Week 9 contest in an extensive feature story published Tuesday. “One was during the middle of the game asking why the offensive line was struggling so badly, and the other was later that night to broach the idea of Saturday becoming the interim coach.”
Irsay, of course, had a right to be angered by the Indianapolis offense line. The Colts allowed nine sacks as the Patriots earned a 26-3 beatdown. New England linebackers Matthew Judon and Josh Uche each recorded three sacks in the verdict while Indianapolis also went 0-for-14 on third down in the contest.
The showing prompted a number of Colts players to praise Judon and the New England defense while Colts All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson also expressed his frustration about Indianapolis’ offensive line.
The lopsided loss ultimately caused Irsay to fire head coach Frank Reich the following day. Saturday was named the interim coach entering Week 10, a hire which was controversial at the time given the fact Saturday never has coached above the high school level. The Colts, however, did put together an improved effort in Week 10 with a 25-20 victory over Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders, earning Saturday his first win as a head coach.
To no surprise, that’s created a much happier Irsay.
