Where does the Indianapolis Colts’ offense rank with offseason programs now behind us?
Where does the Indianapolis Colts’ defense rank with offseason programs now behind us?
Pro Football Network recently put together their rankings with offseason programs now behind us, and coming in at No. 23 were the Colts.
Taken into account when putting these rankings together are yards per play, points per drive, sack and turnover rates, red zone defense, and more.
“Will the defense get any support from the offense this season?” wrote PFN. “That’s one of the burning questions this season and holds plenty of weight. Indianapolis was the sixth-best rush EPA defense in 2024, and if the game script tilts more in their favor, we could see the defensive metrics flip in short order.”
As alluded to by PFN, the Colts’ offense struggling to extend drives and ranking 30th in time of possession last season didn’t help the defense out. It forced them to be on the field often during the course of a game.
But it’s not as if this unit didn’t have its own issues either. To remedy those, GM Chris Ballard invested heavily in the secondary, signing Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum in free agency, while Shane Steichen hired Lou Anarumo to be the new defensive coordinator.
Of course, the additions of Ward and Bynum will certainly help improve the play on the back end, but Anarumo’s defensive scheme can help with some of that heavy lifting as well.
We are going to see a more attacking and aggressive Colts’ defense under Anarumo. Also included will be a heavy usage of disguised coverages. So, what the quarterback sees pre-snap vs. what he sees at the top of his drop could be drastically different.
All of this is done in an effort to keep the quarterback off balance, which can then lead to hesitation and mistakes.
“Really the aggressive mindset,” Bynum said of Anarumo’s defense when asked how it compares to Brian Flores’ defense. “That’s one thing that they share and they have in common, and that’s the mindset that I love to have on defense.
“That we’re going to send pressure, that we’re going to mix things up, variations of everything, but at the end of the day we want to go down with our best guys being aggressive and that’s the mindset I like to have. I don’t want to sit back and just let things happen in front of us, I want to be able to command the offense to be able to do what we want them to do.”
If being aggressive and disguise-heavy are two elements of Anarumo’s defense, a third is its malleability. Like any coordinator, Anarumo has core principles that his defense is built around, but this is a very adaptable system as well, and one that will adjust to the skill sets that are on the roster and week-to-week with what the opponent wants to do.
We are going to see a greater reliance on the defensive back unit in this system, but improved play on the back end will, in turn, help out the pass rush. Last season, the Colts didn’t rank all that well in pressures or sacks, but in part, that was due to offenses picking the secondary apart via the quick game, which left little time to get home.
“I like Lou as a DC,” Ward said on Thursday. “He really aggressive. He’s going to let us get on guys, play some man-to-man, and play to my strengths and our DB’s strengths. I think it’s going to be a good year for us.”