Colts blame themselves for costly miscues but need solutions to salvage fading playoff hopes

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — One by one, the Indianapolis Colts took responsibility for the long list of embarrassments Sunday

Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. regretted showing his frustration on the field. Rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell explained he never saw Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto when he lobbed a fateful lateral across the field toward quarterback Anthony Richardson. And running back Jonathan Taylor apologized to his teammates for dropping the ball — literally and figuratively.

The explanations continued Monday when coach Shane Steichen told reporters he was ultimately responsible for the miscues that led to the devastating 31-13 loss at Denver.

“It comes down to consistency and it starts with myself,” Steichen said. “We've got to be consistent in everything we do. We've got to take care of the football moving forward because I thought our defense played a heck of a game.”

But it's the lingering inconsistency that may wind up costing the Colts (6-8) a playoff spot.

Indy hasn't had consecutive wins in two months. And while some growing pains are expected from a second-year quarterback such as Richardson, his play has varied wildly, sometimes from drive to drive or play to play.

And on Sunday, it wasn't just Richardson's two interceptions or Mitchell's ill-advised throw that Bonitto turned into a game-changing touchdown. Steichen blamed himself for trying to give his team a spark with the play call and putting Mitchell in a tough spot.

“It was there pretty much until (No.) 15 (Bonitto) turned into Ed Reed,” Mitchell said, referring to the ball-hawking Hall of Fame safety.

Indy had five turnovers, including a rare lost fumble from Pittman, which led to a field goal for Denver, and the one Taylor will never forget when he let go of the ball before crossing the goal line.

Instead of giving the Colts a 20-7 lead, the touchdown came off the board and Denver got the ball back because it bounced out of bounds for a touchback.

“We've talked about those (situations),” Steichen said, referring to similar circumstances that have happened around the league this season. “We talk about letters and logos (in the end zone) and finishing through the end.”

But with three games left and Indy two games out of the AFC's seventh and final playoff spot — and down a tiebreak to the Broncos — Sunday's debacle could seal Indy's postseason fate.

Turnovers. While it's an up and down season for the Colts' defense, too, one facet where they have excelled is takeaways. Indy intercepted Denver rookie Bo Nix three times and it helped Indy take the lead into the fourth quarter.

Complementary football. The Colts still have not really found an answer to why the offense, defense and special teams have not played well together all season. The loss to Denver was a perfect illustration. On a day the defense gave up only 10 points through three quarters, the offense essentially gave away 14 with the fumble return and Taylor's drop.

S Nick Cross. He's having a breakout season in his third year. He has 130 tackles, after logging only 56 total in 2022 and 2023, the first sack of his career and against Denver he picked off his third pass of the season.

Mitchell. The rookie has been criticized all year over a variety of issues. First, it was dropped passes. Then, it was questions about his route running. Now, he's being asked about the decision to throw the ball.

WR Alec Pierce left with a concussion and Steichen said he's in the concussion protocol. ... The bigger questions continue to center on the offensive line. Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly was not activated from injured reserve this week and even though backup Tanor Bortolini could have played, Steichen went with Danny Pinter at center anyway. The Colts also announced Saturday that RT Braden Smith has been placed on the reserve/non-football illness list, ending his season. Smith has been dealing with an undisclosed personal matter.

.190 — That's the winning percentage of Indy's final three opponents — Tennessee (3-11), the New York Giants (2-12) and Jacksonville (3-11).

Steichen is encouraging his team to stay hopeful that if it plays hard the next three weeks, it just might get the help it needs to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. And if that doesn't happen, he wants everyone to know there's still plenty on the line this season.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Denver Broncos' Courtland Sutton catches a touchdown pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Broncos' Kris Abrams-Draine breaks iup a pass intended for Indianapolis Colts' Alec Pierce during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor runs for what would have been a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. Taylor dropped the ball before crossing the goal line. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Denver Broncos' Nik Bonitto celebrates his interception and return for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are holding relatively steady on Wednesday, while the price of oil claws back some of this year’s sharp slide.

The S&P 500 added 0.1% in early trading, coming off its third straight drop, though it remains near its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 162 points, or 0.3%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was nearly unchanged.

Companies in the oil business helped lead the way after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela. It’s Trump’s latest acceleration in pressure on the leaders of Venezuela, which may be sitting on more oil than any other country.

It sent the price of a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude higher by 1.4% to $55.92, just a day after it had sunk to its lowest level since 2021. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.4% to $59.76 per barrel.

ConocoPhillips rose 1.6% to cut into its loss for the year so far, which came into the day at 8.5%. Other gainers included Devon Energy, which rose 2.8%, and Halliburton, which added 1.1%. Oil prices fell through much of this year on expectations that companies are pumping more than enough crude to meet the world’s demand.

Netflix was another winner and rose 2.4% after Warner Bros. Discovery’s board said it still recommends shareholders approve a buyout offer for its Warner Bros. business from the streaming giant, rather than a competing hostile bid from Paramount Skydance for the entire company.

Warner Bros. Discovery slipped 1.1%, while Paramount Skydance fell 4.4%.

Also on the losing end of Wall Street was Lennar, which sank 3.2% following a mixed profit report. The homebuilder delivered a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its revenue topped expectations.

Executive Chairman Stuart Miller also said that conditions remain challenging for the industry, with customers feeling less confident while looking for discounts and more affordable options. As a result, the company gave limited forecasts for its upcoming financial performance.

Several steel makers were also under pressure after giving profit forecasts for the end of 2025 that fell below analysts’ expectations.

Nucor slipped 1.6% after the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company said it expects earnings to fall across all three of its operating units from summertime levels. Steel Dynamics of Fort Wayne, Indiana, fell 0.9% after saying it’s selling steel at lower prices than during the summer, among other factors.

In the bond market, Treasury yields ticked higher ahead of a report coming on Thursday that will show how bad inflation has been for U.S. consumers.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.16% from 4.15% late Tuesday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi leaped 1.4% for one of the world’s bigger gains to shave its loss for the week so far down to 2.7%.

AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

Dilip Patel, right, and Bobby Charmak, left, work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Currency traders work near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), left, at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader watches monitors near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

A currency trader stands near a screen showing the Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI), top left, and the foreign exchange rate between U.S. dollar and South Korean won at the foreign exchange dealing room of the Hana Bank headquarters, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)