A telling exit

 Here's the punchline, on this dreary morning after: They lost to a guy named Drew.

And, no, not the good Drew. The Drew who, until yesterday, had thrown almost as many interceptions (27) as touchdown passes (29) in six seasons, and who had a career rating a tick over 78, and who less than two months ago was third-string on the depth chart behind, um, Tommy DeVito.

Yes, that Drew: Drew Lock, career backup/washout, who yesterday threw for 309 yards and four touchdowns, with a 155.3 passer rating, against a team that needed to win to stay in the playoff hunt.

That team was the Indianapolis Colts.

Yesterday, in a game that meant everything to them and nothing to their opponents, they said "nah" to the playoffs and lost, 45-33. Lost by 12 points to Drew Lock and the now 3-13 New York Giants, the worst team in the National Football League.

Gave up 45 points, the Colts did, to a team that hadn't scored more than 14 in a game in a month. Missed a bunch of tackles. Recorded zero sacks. Never led after Lock threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Malik Nabers with a minute left in the first quarter; were outscored 10-0 after drawing within 35-33 with 6:38 to play.

Know what that fairly screams, in seven-league flashing neon?

Not a lot of want-to in this group.

Not a lot of pride. Not a lot of focus. Not a lot of ... well, everything.

It was, in short, a telling exit for a team that should never have been in the playoff hunt anyway, and proved it in spades yesterday. And the blame for that begins not with the players, but with the leadership that slapped together this crash site.

It begins with an owner (Jim Irsay) who's stuck by a failed general manager (Chris Ballard) for far too long. And with the failed general manager. And with the head coach (Shane Steichen) they hired, and especially with the defensive coordinator (Gus Bradley) they hired.

I suspect Bradley will be the first one out the door, after yesterday. Ballard ought to be next, for putting together a flawed roster. As for Steichen and the rest of his staff ... well, they've messed up the Colts big prize, Anthony Richardson, about as badly as you can mess up a guy. 

Richardson was on the sidelines again yesterday, injured for the umpteenth time in two seasons. "Injury-prone" is never a tag you want to be stuck with, but it seems glued to him now for keeps. "Bust" is another tag you don't want, and if AR is edging toward it, it's unfair just yet to slap that one on his back.

The kid's still only 22, remember. Four years ago he was in high school, just beginning to learn his position. He may never be more than a great athlete playing quarterback (as opposed to a great athletic quarterback), but we'll never know until the Colts clean up their mess and bring in some quarterback whisperer who knows how to develop raw young talent.

Wait. Did I say "until" the Colts clean up their mess?

Perhaps "if" is the better word. Because, you know, they're the Colts.