Marcus Brady Fired as Colts' OC; IND Averaging 16.1 Points per Game

The Indianapolis Colts announced the firing of offensive coordinator Marcus Brady on Tuesday following a 17-16 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 8.

Colts head coach Frank Reich said in a statement:

"This was an incredibly hard decision, but one I felt needed to be made in the best interest of the team. I appreciate Marcus's commitment to the organization, and he made a significant contribution to our offensive success over the last five seasons. I wish him the best moving forward."

The Colts are a disappointing 3-4-1 this season, and they rank 30th in the NFL in scoring with just 16.1 points per game.

Brady, 43, was in the midst of his second season as the Colts' OC after serving as their assistant quarterbacks coach in 2018 and their quarterbacks coach in 2019 and 2020.

After playing quarterback for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes, Brady spent time as a wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator for the Alouettes and Argos, winning three Grey Cups as a coach.

Reich hired Brady to his staff when he became the Colts' head coach in 2018, and he worked his way up the ladder to offensive coordinator, replacing Nick Sirianni when he was hired as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

With Brady and Reich running the offense last season, the Colts ranked ninth in scoring with 26.5 points per game and second in rushing with 149.4 yards per game, spearheaded by a spectacular season from running back Jonathan Taylor.

Indy ranked just 26th in passing, however, and missed the playoffs. That prompted the Colts to trade quarterback Carson Wentz to the Commanders and acquire veteran signal-caller Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons.

Ryan went 3-3-1 in seven starts, throwing for 2,008 yards, nine touchdowns and a league-worst nine interceptions, prompting the Colts to bench Ryan in favor of Sam Ehlinger.

The move didn't give Indianapolis the type of offensive boost it hoped for, as Ehlinger threw for 201 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in his first career start against the Commanders.

In addition to their inability to score, the Colts are just 18th in the NFL in total offense this season. While poor quarterback play has contributed to that, the bigger issue may be Taylor dealing with injuries and ineffectiveness, as the Colts have dropped to 29th in the league in rushing yards per game at just 87.8.

While the Colts have struggled in most facets this season, they are still second in the AFC South, behind only the 5-2 Tennessee Titans.

There is time for the Colts to turn things around and get back in the playoff hunt, and the organization seemingly hopes that a coaching change on the offensive side of the ball will serve as a catalyst.