Colts vs. Jags: Week 17 defense grades

The final week of the season didn’t see the best of the Colts defense, as they lost to Jacksonville 38-20. It was another disappointing performance from a group that should have been improved.

In 2018, the Colts’ defense was much improved from 2017. They were improved in all of the major categories statistically. This year however, they stalled out. That was on full display during yesterday’s disappointing 38-20 loss in Jacksonville.

Just like has been the case all season long, it wasn’t just one unit that played poorly yesterday. It was a confluence of everyone playing poorly at once at different points of the game. It resulted in the Colts ending 2019 with a loss and a 7-9 final record.

Justin Houston was one of the best free agent signings of last offseason. He added another sack-fumble yesterday to bring his season total to 11. He has been the only steady player on the defensive line. Jabaal Sheard also added a sack, but they didn’t get pressure in the most critical situations of the game,

Darius Leonard once again made plays. He had his fifth interception of the year on a diving interception in the first half. He added 6 tackles to his stat line as well. Anthony Walker led the team with 16 tackles. But again, they got the ball thrown over their heads in zone coverage.

Once again, the secondary failed to step up. They let rookie Gardner Minshew throw for 295 yards and 3 touchdowns. Rock Ya-Sin got called for a key pass interference penalty late in the game that set up a touchdown. The secondary has really cratered in the last half of the season.

There will be plenty of time for roster evaluation across the board on the defense. It will be interesting to see what changes are made.