Indianapolis Colts AFC South Training Camp Preview

For the majority of its existence, the AFC South has been dominated by the Indianapolis Colts. But the three other teams have spent the offseason making drastic moves to unseat the Colts. Could this be the year one of these teams challenges the reigning division champs? We look at the AFC South as the teams get ready for training camp.

Indianapolis Colts

Additions: WR Andre Johnson, RB Frank Gore, OLB Trent Cole, OG Todd Herremans, DE Kendall Langford, ILB Nate Irving, SS Dwight Lowery, WR Phillip Dorsett* (*rookie)

Losses: WR Reggie Wayne, WR Hakeem Nicks, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, FS Sergio Brown, SS LaRon Landry, RB Trent Richardson, DE Ricky Jean-Francois, DE Cory Redding, C A.Q. Shipley

2014 Record: 11-5

2015 Projected Record: 10-6

For the third straight year, the Colts finished with an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. They won their second straight AFC South title and got another step further in the playoffs only to be bounced again by the Patriots.

Without the Colts brass flat out saying it, this is a Super Bowl-or-Bust season. They loaded up on proven veteran talent in free agency and everyone is focused on the Lombardi trophy. Even coach Chuck Pagano turned down a contract extension (albeit a deal for just one extra year) as the team focuses on a singular goal.

The Colts will have to figure out a way to get past the Patriots and avoid the long standing trend of suffering blowout losses every season.

Offense

2014 Stats:

3rd in Yardage
6th in Points
17th in Efficiency

Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) drops back to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The best news for the Colts heading into 2015 is that they won’t be facing a quarterback controversy with Andrew Luck at the helm. Luck led the league with 40 touchdowns passes but still turned the ball over too frequently. He knows where the problem lies and considering the path of his natural development, cutting down on the turnovers will be a natural next step.

Even if the Colts hadn’t added Gore to the running back stable, the Colts would have improved at the position just by cutting Richardson. The Colts saw their offensive efficiency drop last season after Bradshaw went down with an ankle injury. It was the second year in a row that a key injury hurt the offense (Wayne’s ACL tear in 2013 was the other).

The Colts offense has a ton of talent and a lot of players heading into a contract year (namely the 2012 draft class). They should be more equipped to deal with injuries this season than they have been in the past.

The options at wide receiver are going to be staggering in 2015. Johnson is a definite improvement over Wayne (who was unfortunately felled by injuries over the past two years). Adding Dorsett (who is blazing fast) will stress opposing defenses in a new way. We’ll also see Donte Moncrief continue his promising career and we haven’t even mentioned the potential of Duron Carter.

The weak link on this side of the ball is the offensive line. While Anthony Castonzo and Jack Mewhort are both talented players, the rest of the line is a series of question marks. The Colts ranked 16th in run blocking last season, but were seventh in pass protection. The big issue will be continuity along the line as the Colts reshuffled the starters nearly every week (partly due to injuries). Getting the core group back on the field and healthy will improve this unit dramatically.

Defense

2014 Stats:

11th in Yards Allowed
19th in Points Allowed
13th in Efficiency

Oct 14, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts linebacker Robert Mathis (98) during the second half against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers won 19-9. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

While the offense struggled to put points on the board in the playoffs, it was the defense that has let them down against the Pats the past two years. The gave up 88 points in two postseason losses and approximately all of the rushing yards (ok, 411, but still).

The Colts needed to shore up the run defense in the offseason, and made a few incremental moves to do so. Langford is a solid addition to the line, and a player who better fits a 3-4 scheme as opposed to 4-3 in St. Louis. The Colts also brought in two more Stanford products in the draft: DE Henry Anderson and DT David Parry. Anderson is a steal and Pro Football Focus called him the most productive lineman in college football.

Losing Redding is a big blow to the line, especially considering he was the emotional leader on the defense. The Colts really need Robert Mathis to return to field to fill this role. Mathis might not be back for some time, but Cole at least gives the team some insurance against losing Mathis again. With better individual pass rushers on the roster, the Colts won’t have to blitz as often (meaning there will be more players in position to stop the run as well).

Overall, the talent on the defense is improved from last season. We’ve seen this unit improve every season and this is definitely the best looking defense the Colts have had under Pagano.

Challenging the AFC South

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The Colts were 6-0 against the South last season, with only the Texans proving to be a challenge. There is no question that they’ll cruise to four wins against the Titans and Jaguars, but the Texans look like a better team this season. Houston has a potentially terrifying pass rush that could make life hell for Luck and it wouldn’t be surprising if they stole the Thursday night meeting at home.

But one loss in the AFC South isn’t enough to dethrone the Colts and there probably isn’t a team in the NFL more likely to win their division.

2015 Prediction

As long as Luck is under center, the Colts will have a shot. His natural development, coupled with an improved roster, has the bar for this team set incredibly high. There is no doubt that they will win the division, but their aspirations are higher than that.

Colts have an improved 13-3 record next season and make another deep playoff run.

AFC South previews:

Tennessee Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans

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