Colts vs. Chiefs: Defensive post-game grades

The Colts got shellacked last night by the Chiefs, losing 31-13. The defense could not stop the Kansas City offense at all. Here is how each unit played in their final snaps of the season.

Last night was not the Colts team that had been playing well for the last two months. It was a shadow of that team. The defensive play was especially disappointing after what they did in Houston. Here is how each unit on the defense played.

This unit had been underrated all season long. They played like garbage last night. Kansas City ran for 180 yards. The inability to get penetration and stop the running game killed the team. Because the Chiefs ran the ball so well, they were able to open up the field with play-action passes. The defensive line also didn’t get any pressure on Patrick Mahomes until after the game had already been decided.

Darius Leonard led the way with 14 tackles, and a fumble recovery, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The linebackers were consistently out of position in zone coverage and allowed 5 yard gains to turn into 15 yard gains. They also couldn’t stop the running game once the back got to the second level. Poor showing by these guys.

For some unknown reason, J.J. Wilcox was allowed on the field yesterday, and the Chiefs took advantage of that. He was constantly out of position and got burned several times. George Odum was put in later in the game, but Wilcox never should’ve seen a snap. Clearly this unit was missing Malik Hooker and Mike Mitchell. Keeping Mahomes under 300 yards and no touchdowns is a plus, but they never made the big third down stop that was needed.

The defense was put in bad spots all game because of the terrible play from the offense. But that is no excuse for how they played in the biggest game of the year. They have to be better, and hopefully this will be a learning experience for next season.