PALM BEACH, Fla. – His anger reached a boiling point after 0-2 became 0-3, so Jim Irsay called them all – his entire coaching staff, every scout left in town – to a “Come to Jesus” -Meeting at which The Colts’ longtime owner revealed his seething frustration at his club’s inability to beat the team that needs it most.
It was late September. Indianapolis had stumbled out of the gate — again — and Irsay was furious and furious over a 25-16 Week 3 loss in Tennessee, the Colts’ third straight loss to open the year. Watching a season go by, he feared his franchise was missing out on another opportunity to do what it hadn’t done in six long years: retake the AFC South.
But to do that, the Colts had to beat the Titans. They had lost three of four to their 2019 division rivals.
“You guys are getting your asses kicked,” Irsay said, telling the room. “Who’s doing anything about it? Shall we get them next time? Not good enough. who will stop it Who’s going to stand up and stop it?”
From 0-3, the Colts fell to 1-4. They reentered the AFC playoffs over the next three months, notching up nine wins in 12 games, but they dropped their second fight against the Titans on Halloween and squandered a 14-0 first-half lead before they collapsed in overtime. The division was practically over before the calendar flipped to November.
That made four losses in five games against the Titans.
The owner hasn’t forgotten.
“I’m not hiding from the plain facts that exist in competition,” Irsay said Tuesday during a break in the