Chris Ballard: A year-by-year look and how he’s one of the NFL’s best
2019
Coming off of a career year for Ballard, the team was at an all-time high. They were poised to make another playoff run with their franchise quarterback, Pro Bowl offensive line, power running game, and a young and talented defense. In August 2019, they lost one crucial piece. QB Andrew Luck shockingly retired from the NFL at the young age of 29. Ballard has trust in Jacoby Brissett and does have a better roster around him than in 2017, however, without Luck, the team takes a huge hit.
Through the first 7 games, the team was playing without missing a beat. Marlon Mack has truly shown that he is a top running back in the league from the first game of the season; he ran for 163 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Chargers.
Jacoby Brissett was filling in for Luck effortlessly. He put together a solid start with 14 touchdowns to only 3 interceptions and some put Brissett in the running as a darkhorse candidate for league MVP. The defense was attacking the run and defending the pass well and the team sat 2nd overall in the AFC at 5-2.
Disaster struck shortly after. Brissett strained his MCL in a Week 9 loss and missed Week 10 (also a loss). Brissett returned and was nowhere close to what he was prior, totaling only 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in that span.
He was virtually useless in the remaining 9 games, as the only two wins for the Colts were two of the most dominant rushing performances by the team throughout the whole year. The only real saving grace in 2019 was that rushing offense, which ranked 7th overall in yards per game and 10th in touchdowns. The run group also tied for second-fewest fumbles in league with 3 while having the 5th most rushing attempts (471).
Defensively, the front seven played well considering the secondary struggles they had to make up for behind them. With the new acquisition of Justin Houston via free agency, Houston and the front lines ranked 7th in run defense and allowed less than 100 yards per game on the ground (97.9).
On the back end, the secondary showed signs of its youth, ranking 22nd against the pass with 248.9 yards allowed per game. This translated to a just below average 18th in total points allowed per game (23.3), which is nothing but fitting, considering their just below average 7-9 record at the end of the season.
The true tale of below-average play was the special teams unit. Ranked 32nd as a group for every good reason in the book, starting kicker Adam Vinatieri ranked 37th in field goal percentage and 42nd in extra point percentage.
He cost the team at least 3 games due to his kicking woes; it’s possible that I could be writing a completely different narrative about this season if those games went the other way. Regardless, Vinatieri was placed on IR in Week 13 and replaced by rookie kicker Chase McLaughlin, who played well enough to unofficially become the Colts starting kicker moving forward. McLaughlin missed only one field and didn’t miss an extra point. There is hope moving forward for the Colts on special teams now that Ballard has found a reliable young kicker that they can use in the future.
Related Story. Adam Vinatieri should get cut or retire. light
Arguably the weakest draft in the Ballard campaign, only a few players that he drafted has served important roles for the team in their one season. Leading the way is 3rd round linebacker Bobby Okereke. Okereke is a key piece of the Colts’ front seven next to Darius Leonard and Anthony Walker. Ballard has now successfully drafted all three of his primary linebackers in his 3 drafts, each one coming in a different year.
Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin started all but one game this season and had a decent year. He still needs time to grow, however, he has shown moments that prove his worth as a starting cornerback. Safety Khari Willis was another member of the underperforming secondary who, like Ya-Sin, showed flashes of his potential as a starter.
The main concern for Willis is his ability to play well next to Malik Hooker. The two safeties need more time to work together with the first unit; Willis was a full-time starter from Week 10, missing two games along that stretch.
Finally, Parris Campbell, Ballard’s last 2nd round pick at Wide Receiver, has had trouble staying healthy throughout the season and was not as effective as expected when on the field. Playing in only 7 games, Campbell will need to get healthy and put in a good offseason before cementing himself as a top 3 wide receiver on the roster.
Ballard’s Best Picks:
- Bobby Okereke, Linebacker – 89th pick, 3rd round
Okereke’s stellar rookie season was definitely something Ballard hoped for in the draft. He is the perfect candidate to start at his position for many years to come. The tackling machine sits nicely next to Darius Leonard and Anthony Walker as they too are machines stopping the run and the short pass game with their tackling skills.
- 2019:
- 58 Total Tackles, 2 PD, 2 FF, 1 FR
- 1 SACK, 2 TFL, 1 Touchdown Allowed
- 16 Games Played, 8 Starts
- Rock Ya-Sin, Cornerback – 34th pick, 2nd round
Ya-Sin was put into the starting cornerback position after a solid training camp performance. Ya-Sin played an up-and-down season while covering the deep ball. He allowed 627 yards passing and 3 touchdowns and a QB rating of 109.2. Despite this, Ya-Sin was a good tackler and should be in the running to start next season if he puts together another good offseason and can improve the deep ball.
- 2019:
- 61 Total Tackles, 5 PD, 1 FR,
- 15 Games Played, 13 Starts
- Khari Willis, Safety – 109th pick, 4th round
Willis took the starting role from Clayton Geathers as the season progressed and had an up-and-down season similar to Ya-Sin. Willis allowed an 83.8 completion percentage and 3 touchdowns, which added up to a QB rating of 124.0. Willis needs to improve on his deep ball coverage if he is to retain his starting role in 2020.
- 2019:
- 71 Total Tackles, 1 PD
- 14 Games Played, 9 Starts
- Parris Campbell, Wide Receiver – 59th pick, 2nd round
Parris Campbell was one of the many Colts receivers that struggled to stay on the field in 2019, however, he wasn’t much of a factor when he was on it. Totaling only 18 receptions in 7 games isn’t what Ballard and the front office were hoping for in him when they drafted him to play opposite of T.Y. Hilton. Their only hope is that Campbell and WR Devin Funchess get healthy for 2020 so the group can achieve what it was thought to in 2019.
- 2019:
- 18 REC, 127YD, 1 TD
- 7 Games Played, 3 Starts
Ballard did as fine of a job as he could have in 2019. He rebounded the team nicely after Luck’s retirement and did a good job drafting Okereke to further advance their front seven as one of the league’s best. Ballard’s key mistake came when dealing with Adam Vinatieri. The kicker was dealing with knee problems throughout the entire season; the smart move from Ballard would have been to shut him down earlier. The would’ve allowed Vinatieri to get healthier for the future and would allow a young kicker to come in and save the team from losing a few games off of Vinatieri’s leg.
Overall grade: 6/10
Final Thoughts and Grade
Ballard’s talent as a general manager is obvious; he’s one of the best in the NFL. He turned an old and depleted roster into a playoff-contending one in a matter of two years. His drafting ability is above average, as shown with the spectacular 2018 class.
His belief and idea of building a roster around young, competitive players through the draft is working; he hasn’t needed to use free agency. When he has, however, he has acquired marquee talent (i.e. Justin Houston). Ballard’s run-based ideas when acquiring players has also worked very well; the team is a borderline top-5 rushing offense and rushing defense with players all acquired through the draft.
Next. Colts add several new coaches staff. dark
2020 is truly a make-or-break year for Ballard. He needs to find a true starting quarterback, a second receiver opposite of T.Y. Hilton, and a reliable cornerback in the secondary. The draft this season is especially critical for Ballard as most of the team is about to hit the primes of their careers. Because of this, Ballard needs to put the finishing touches on a roster that is talented enough to get over the hump and into the playoffs.