Chris Ballard: A year-by-year look and how he’s one of the NFL’s best
2017
The first year of Ballard’s tenure is a crucial one. It will set the tone for the team moving forward. Due to this, the Colts finish with a tone-setting record of:
4-12.
While not being the start that Ballard would have hoped, it isn’t entirely his fault. The centerpiece of the team moving forward was the star quarterback, Andrew Luck. However, the beating he took behind Ryan Grigson’s awful offensive line led to Luck missing the entire 2017 campaign with a myriad of injuries, including multiple shoulder surgeries.
After a brief stint with Scott Tolzien (which lasted a half of a game in a 46-9 blowout against the Rams), the new starting QB for the team was former Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett. He played as well as he could have in his first starting season as a QB while taking a league-high 52 sacks.
The signal-caller put together a seemingly average stat line with 2098 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He also added 260 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground. The team’s passing offense ranked an atrocious 30th in the NFL with 180.8 passing yards per game, only ahead of the Buffalo Bills and Chicago Bears.
The team’s touchdown percentage finished at 2.7%, which tied for 29th. As mentioned before, the team’s 52 sacks led the NFL; their sack percentage was 10.3 percent and was the only team that had a sack percentage over 10 (the next closest was Houston with 9.3%). It was clear that Brissett’s first year as a starter, coupled with the sub par excuse for an offensive line, was not able to produce numbers good enough to be anywhere close to needed.
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The only bright spot for the offense was receiver T.Y. Hilton, who totaled 966 yards and 4 touchdowns, and Jack Doyle, who had the most productive year of his career with 690 yards and 4 touchdowns. The duo of Hilton and Doyle was the only comfort for Brissett throughout the 2017 season and are two of the small number of players left from the pre-Ballard era.
In terms of the rushing attack, it performed better than the pass, however still not up to standard. Led by veteran Frank Gore, it ranked 22nd in rush yards per game with 103.8 and 27th in yards per attempt (3.7). Gore started all 16 games and produced 961 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. His 961 yards ranked a respectable 12th in the NFL. He was a reliable back throughout the season, but the true future of the rushing offense was in rookie Marlon Mack from USF. We’ll touch on him (and the rushing attack) soon.
The defense was equally atrocious; they were old and slow and finished 30th in points allowed per game. Only one starter from this Grigson-Esque defense was Jabaal Sheard, who was also Chris Ballard’s only big free agent signing that season. Including Brissett, the offense returned 4 starters from this 2017 season: Brissett, Hilton, Doyle, and Castonzo. Overall, the success of the team was not there, however, Ballard could only do so much in his first offseason on the job.
To detail the 2017 draft, it wasn’t Ballard’s best; however, there are some notable players to recognize from this class that are still with the team playing major roles. Out of the 8 players drafted, 5 players still remain with the team. All of them still play large roles with the team in 2019. This does save Ballard from the draft; 5 starters drafted in one class is a big accomplishment, especially during his first season.
Ballard’s Best Draft Picks:
- Marlon Mack, RB – 143rd pick, 4th round
Marlon Mack is Ballard’s best pick in the draft. The 143rd pick sat behind Gore as the second running back in 2017, however, his potential was shown. Ballard’s trust in Mack showed as he was named the bell cow back in 2018. Mack’s second-level speed and patience at the line of scrimmage are traits among the league’s best. His only concern moving forward is his injury history as he has yet to play an entire season.
Career Statistics:
- 2017:
- 93 RUSH, 358 YD, 3 TD, 1 REC TD
- 14 Games Played, O Starts
- 2018:
- 195 RUSH, 908 YD, 9 TD
- 12Games Played, 10 Starts
- career-high 4.7 Yards per Attempt in 2018
- 2019:
- 247 RUSH, 1091 YD, 8 TD
- 14 Games Played, 12 Starts
- Anthony Walker, LB – 161st pick, 4th round
Anthony Walker is another great pick from Ballard; he was the team’s last pick in the 2017 draft at pick 161. Walker was not a big factor in 2017 but he blossomed in 2018 as he started 14 of the 15 games he played.
Walker, paired with 2018 2nd Round pick Darius Leonard, has been a tackling machine and is the key reason for the team’s improvement on defense. In 2019, Walker played and started in all 16 games and has proved his worth to Ballard and the front office. Walker is a key piece of the front seven moving forward for the defensive side.
Career Statistics:
- 2017:
- 22 Total Tackles, 1 Tackle for Loss
- 10 Games Played, 2 Starts
- 2018:
- 105 Total Tackles, 10 Tackles for Loss, 1 INT, 4 Passes Defended, 1 Fumble Recovery
- 15 Games Played, 14 Starts
- 2019:
- 123 Total Tackles, 6 Tackles For Loss, 1 INT, 2 Passes Defended, 1 Forced Fumble
- 16 Games Played, 16 Starts
- Malik Hooker, Safety – 15th pick, 1st round
Hooker has shown flashes as a top safety in the NFL, but his injury problems remain the biggest storyline for him so far. Ballard drafted him with the 15th overall pick in the draft and was set to be the centerpiece of the team’s secondary.
Hooker, known for his ball-hawking ability, has lived up to that standard in the games he has appeared in. After missing 9 games in his rookie season, Hooker was healthy and started in 14 and 13 games in 2018 and 2019. His potential is as high as his injury list; 2020 will be a key year for him to see if Ballard was correct on his decision to select him.
Career Statistics:
- 2017:
- 22 Total Tackles, 3 INT, 4 PD
- 7 Games Played, 6 Starts
- 2018:
- 44 Total Tackles, 2 INT, 4 PD, 1 FR
- 14 Games Played, 14 Starts
- 2019:
- 51 Total Tackles, 2 INT, 3 PD, 1 FR
- 13 Games Played, 13 Starts
Ballard’s culture was built starting this season. His draft-first mentality was key in the future success of the team. Although 2017 was an underwhelming season, his draft picks have steadily improved and now play important roles with the team.