INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts put forth a message of unity Monday, one day after a trio defensive leaders publicly questioned the team’s preparation, work ethic and growth in the wake of a third straight defeat.

Cornerback Kenny Moore II, linebacker Zaire Franklin and safety Julian Blackmon each hinted at problems showing up weekly in practice that are not fixed on game day and suggested it’s time for players to take a long look in the mirror.

Little went right in Sunday’s 30-20 loss against the Buffalo Bills.

Veteran Joe Flacco continued to struggle as the starting quarterback with four turnovers – three inside Bills’ territory and the fourth going for a Pick-6.

The crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium was nearly half full with Buffalo supporters, and the Colts’ faithful on hand often expressed their displeasure by showering the playing field with boos.

It’s a bad look for a franchise that touted a playoff push when Flacco was named the starter two weeks ago and has struggled to get anything going offensively since.

But head coach Shane Steichen suggested there’s nothing wrong with his team a victory over the 3-7 New York Jets can’t fix this week.

“I think any time you lose, it’s frustrating, especially three in a row – games that you could have won,” Steichen said during his weekly video conference call Monday. “But I think the biggest thing is you learn from that. You’re going to go through adversity in every football season. You are. You’re going to have it – some more than others, and we’re going through some adversity right now.

“But we get to decide how this thing ends. We choose it as players and coaches of going through the process and grinding through it and getting ready for the Jets. That’s what we can control is getting better every single day and getting ready for the Jets.”

Left guard Quenton Nelson said Steichen has not lost the faith of the locker room during the three-game slide.

Indianapolis (4-6) trails the Houston Texans by two games in the AFC South standings and is one game behind the Denver Broncos (5-5) for the final wild-card playoff berth.

Making the postseason for the first time since 2020 remains the Colts’ primary objective, and Nelson said Steichen has dealt well with the adversity currently surrounding the team.

“(E)very time Shane talks to us, I think it’s very effective,” Nelson said. “He’s a great leader and a great coach. What he’s saying to us is what we need to do, and (we) just need to execute and do that.”

Steichen pointed out last season had a similar vibe at 3-5 before Indianapolis rallied to win six of its next eight games and set up a winner-take-all finale against the Texans that proved to be for the division title.

But there were no warning signals coming from locker-room leaders during that season.

Preparation is among Steichen’s core values, and he was asked if the defenders’ comments Sunday caused him to rethink anything about his practice plan.

“I think any time you lose, you’re always going to look at things,” Steichen said. “What are the little things that we’re not doing or doing or whatever it may be, right? I think it comes back to fundamentals and details and making sure we’re all over those. Practice with that urgency and purpose every single day so we can get done what we want to get done on Sundays.

“Because when you’re falling short, you’re always going to look at things. Especially me as a coach, I’m going to look at practice stuff and schedules and all that stuff and how we’re practicing to get it turned.”

FLACCO STILL STARTING

Steichen confirmed Flacco will remain the starting quarterback against the Jets.

The 39-year-old has lost two straight games since being named the full-time starter and is 1-3 this season overall.

He’s completed 66.5% of his passes for 1,167 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions, but he has thrown for just two touchdowns and four picks in the last two weeks.

“Joe is a veteran guy, like I’ve said,” Steichen said. “He’s had two games that he’d want back. But again, he goes out there, throws some good passes. Obviously, the interceptions – there are three of those. There were two that he’d want back.

“Again, you just stick with it. You grind through it. The process of this whole thing — man, it really is a process. So we’re going through that process right now. Right now, Joe is still our guy.”