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One of the most common reactions to Tuesday’s news that the Colts had fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady was that he took the fall for the shortcomings of others.
Head Coach Frank Reich was top of the list, especially because he’s the one calling the plays for a Colts offense when just replacing his starting quarterback to find something that works for the team. Reich said it may be true that Brady “a really good coach‘ and that the change “only makes sense for the team” before asking if Brady is a scapegoat for those higher up the chain of command.
“I get that — that should fall on me,” Reich said of TheAthletic.com’s Zak Keefer. “Mark will not be made a scapegoat. I must own this. We are all responsible.”
There’s a long history of coordinators being fired when things didn’t go right during a season. The moves are sometimes followed by a turnaround in the standings, but they’re often a prelude to bigger changes, and Brady’s dismissal leaves Reich without too much cover should things not improve as the season progresses.