When the Colts are on defense

The Colts’ defense, collectively, issued a challenge to itself this week after allowing 37 points – and three plays of 60 or more yards – in last weekend’s loss to the Jaguars.

“It’s more about who we want to be,” Franklin said. “Are we gonna be the defense that was stout against Pittsburgh and Chicago, or are we gonna be the defense that’s letting people have career highs every week. So we gotta make that decision internally, together.”

Franklin, though, acknowledged this challenge won’t matter if it isn’t met on Sunday against the Titans.

“It’s not about promise,” Franklin said. “It’s about action.”

The Colts defense enters Week 6 having allowed the most plays of 40 or more yards in the NFL (six). They’re 25th in points per game allowed (24.4) and are the only team in the NFL allowing over 400 yards per game (419.2).

Among the Colts’ issues on defense has been tackling – they’ve missed the fifth-most tackles in the NFL (62) though they’re more middle of the road on a per-play basis (their missed tackle rate is 14 percent, 17th in the NFL). Still: This is a problem the Colts’ defense knows it has to fix.

“First and foremost is tackle,” Franklin said. “… I think a lot of it is just relentlessness. A lot of it is effort from all 11 guys. Sometimes there’s no such thing as a missed tackle if you take a tackle with leverage and acceleration because you’re taking your and slowing them down, and if the other 10 guys are hunting, then he should be down. It’s on all of us. It’s not just on whoever may have missed a tackle or have a good play. We’re all supposed to have each other’s back out there. That’s how defense is supposed to play.”

As defensive coordinator Gus Bradley has sough solutions to generating more pressure on opposing quarterbacks and limiting back-breaking explosive plays, he’s done so with confidence in the group of players at his disposal – no matter how many reserves may be called upon in a given week.

“I think it starts with our players,” Bradley said. “We believe in our players, and we know that we can get it done and we can keep these points down. That’s our whole objective. I mean, are you going to eliminate explosive plays, keep the points down, give your offense a chance to get the ball many times and score some points? We have faith in our group. We have faith in our coaching staff that we can get it done.”

The Titans have struggled on offense this year – they’re 30th in yards per play (4.34), 29th on third down (29.66 percent conversion rate) and are tied for the most giveaways in the NFL (nine) despite already having had their bye week. Quarterback Will Levis – who will start Sunday – leads the NFL with six interceptions, and Titans quarterbacks (backup Mason Rudolph played the majority of the Titans’ Week 4 win over the Miami Dolphins after Levis exited with a shoulder injury) have the second-highest sack rate in the NFL (13.9 percent).

But while the Titans’ offense has its issues, so has the Colts’ defense. And whether the Colts were facing a struggling offense or the 2007 New England Patriots this weekend, the mission would be the same.

“At this point, there’s no more apologies,” Franklin said. “Just change behaviors.”