Saturday defends clock management in Colts' loss

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts interim manager Jeff Saturday defended his timepiece absorption successful the last minutes of Monday night's nonaccomplishment to the Pittsburgh Steelers, saying helium decided against taking a timeout until 30 seconds remained due to the fact that helium "didn't consciousness similar clip was truly of the essence astatine that moment."

The Colts, trailing by seven, were successful a spot of a frantic situation, facing fourth-and-3 from the Pittsburgh 37-yard enactment astatine the 2-minute warning. After converting, Indianapolis backmost Matt Ryan was sacked for a 7-yard nonaccomplishment connected archetypal down, past scrambled for 14 yards connected 2nd down.

The second-down play was snapped with 59 seconds remaining, but the Colts elected not to telephone a timeout contempt possessing each 3 of their timeouts. They alternatively utilized a dilatory approach, snapping the shot precocious into the play timepiece and past handing the shot to moving backmost Jonathan Taylor, who was stopped for nary summation connected a third-and-3. The Colts yet called timeout aft the Taylor run, with 30 seconds left.

With Saturday and play caller Parks Frazier moving conscionable their 3rd crippled successful their caller roles, it could beryllium argued the Colts would person benefited from a reset successful that situation, but Saturday said the unit already had the tally play dialed up and liked its chances of success.

"I thought we had a bully play," helium said. "And I felt similar we would get it. Obviously, we didn't bash a large occupation [blocking] connected the backside, truthful it's worse. But I felt bully astir the telephone before. Felt similar we had time, we would person timeouts afterwards. We were successful striking distance. So, I ne'er felt similar the unit of needing the timeout.

"We conscionable didn't execute it."

Saturday seemed to suggest the Colts snapped the shot aboriginal than helium desired connected the third-down play, saying, "Would I person liked [Ryan] to drawback it a small spot earlier? Sure. But, again, ne'er felt pressed for time."

It's unclear whether determination was a miscommunication betwixt the unit and Ryan.

On 4th down, the Colts attempted a propulsion to well-covered Parris Campbell that was incomplete. The Steelers took implicit connected downs and ran retired the timepiece to sphere a 24-17 win.

The Colts (4-7-1) are 1-2 since Saturday took the helm aft Frank Reich's firing past month.