The Indianapolis Colts had many positives during a season in which they lost their primary quarterback prematurely, but preventing explosive plays on the defensive side of the ball remains a major concern.
The 2023 Colts defense finished the season in the middle of the pack in nearly every team metric imaginable. They were 17th in red zone scoring, 24th in opponent rushing yards per game, 17th in opponent passing yards per game, and 24th in opponent yards per game. Overall, it had an average to below-average performance, while its 28th place in points allowed raises some concerns.
When a defense’s points allowed are high, there are usually areas such as the red zone, special teams, or poor offensive decisions that contribute directly to its point total. However, the Colts’ situation is not so straightforward.
The Colts’ special teams finished the inaugural season under STC Brian Mason as the NFL’s 30th-best unit, according to Team DVOA. It’s worth noting that this unit regained its stride in the second half of the season, with punter Rigoberto Sanchez presumably returning to form and the punt block team doing some damage.
Its defense had a slightly higher-than-average percentage of drives that ended in a 3-and-out, while the Colts offense ranked 25th, with more than a quarter of its offensive drives (29.4%) ending in a 3-and-out. If anything, the offensive was more responsible for the defense’s troubles than the defense was.
The defense’s inability to restrict explosive plays, and particularly explosive touchdowns, has the most impact on their point total. While DC Gus Bradley’s defensive strategy is to bend, not break, the occasional break occurred earlier and more frequently than that philosophy would suggest.
The 2023 Colts allowed the third-most touchdowns of 20 yards or more in the NFL. They also allowed the most 20-plus-yard touchdowns due to missed tackles.
According to Pro Football Focus, rookie cornerback Jaylon Jones and safety Julian Blackmon were the only DBs with a missed tackle rate of less than 10%. Indy’s tackling combo of Zaire Franklin and EJ Speed both had career-high missed tackle percentages.
As is customary, the Colts’ defensive backfield remains the biggest question mark moving into 2024. The room’s general health left plenty to be desired, but the healthy flashes provide some hope for the future.
The expansion of the cornerback and safety rooms, combined with a potential safety addition before the season begins, should be enough to improve over last year, while the signings of DT Raekwon Davis and DE Laiatu Latu, as well as Grover Stewart’s complete season, should smooth things out across the board. If the aforementioned tackling issues are resolved, this defense will already be dramatically improved.
