Defensive Heroics: Colts Defense Shines Amid…
The Indianapolis Colts’ fanbase was in near unanimous agreement that Defensive Coordinator Gus Bradley had to be fired at the end of the season following the team’s 37-34 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in week five. Amid the Colts’ own offensive turmoil in the month since that game, Bradley has quietly figured out a winning formula with his defense since that disaster.
The Colts’ defense has been on a steady roll these past four games, ranking as the 8th-best defense in terms of EPA/play, the 9th-best defense in drop back EPA, and the 10th-best defense in rush EPA. While it could be easy to attribute this success to games against Will Levis and Tyler Huntley, the Colts also managed to hold the Minnesota Vikings and the Houston Texans below their usual offensive averages in EPA/play (and rank 6th in EPA/play in general as a defense the past two weeks).
There are a lot of contributing factors to the Colts’ defensive rebound over the past month. It helps to have back-to-back get-right games against vulnerable offenses like the Tennessee Titans and the Miami Dolphins to kick off the stretch, and the momentum built up from those games has carried over into big contests against playoff-bound opponents.
Another factor that has contributed to the Colts’ success has been the return of DeForest Buckner to the lineup. Buckner has been back in the lineup for the Colts’ last two outings, logging four hurries, three quarterback hits, and two sacks since returning to the field. His elite presence on the interior has paved the way for the rest of the Colts’ defensive line returning to their early season expectations.
The final massive factor in this defensive growth in none other than Gus Bradley himself. Once the old dog that would never learn a new trick, Bradley has changed this defense up a good bit in recent weeks. A man known for his lack of aggression and for sitting back in cover three all day long has shifted to more of a blitz-heavy cover two defense in recent weeks.
This shift for the Colts’ defense is eerily similar to the style of play that Matt Eberflus once deployed in his time as the Colts’ defensive coordinator. Sit back in cover two shells, eliminate the vertical passing game, pressure the quarterback, and force turnovers. The Colts have forced seven turnovers in their past four games and they lead the league in fumbles recovered as a defense with nine this season.
The smartest aspect of this adjustment for Bradley is playing to the strengths of his linebacker group. Zaire Franklin and E.J. Speed are fine run chasers that can ROBOT back against play-action, but they are at their best playing downhill and attacking what is in front of them. This blitz-heavy, cover-two approach from Bradley has allowed the Colts’ linebacker duo (along with Grant Stuard in base sets) to be in attack mode on passing downs and get after opposing quarterbacks.
Even when the Colts are getting into some cover three looks, the secondary has shown fantastic growth this season in their zone recognition and assignment integrity. Nick Cross has developed some pretty good instincts this year and Jaylon Jones (despite the rough game on Sunday night) has flashed playmaking ability.
This interception by Cross might be one of the more instinctual plays in zone coverage from a Colts’ player the past few seasons.
