Colts’ defense now under pressure to avoid big first-half deficits

The Colts cannot play from behind. It’s up to the defense to dictate the 2020 season.

Nobody can ask the Indianapolis Colts‘ defense to play flawless games week in and week out for 60 minutes. It’s not reasonable and, as all football fans know, completely shutting down opposing offenses in today’s NFL is as difficult as ever.

But we learned the one thing Indy’s defense cannot do after watching Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. The unit cannot put the offense in an insurmountable hole because Philip Rivers and Co. probably won’t be able to dig out of it.

The Colts’ defense was shredded by Baker Mayfield and the Browns in the first half after allowing 20 points, failing to force a single punt, and giving up 289 yards of total offense.

The unit rebounded admirably in the second half, only giving up three points after a Rivers interception drastically shortened the field for them. The halftime adjustments worked, as Baker Mayfield only completed two passes and threw two interceptions in the final 30 minutes. That should’ve been enough to win the game for the Colts.

But after five weeks it’s clear this team cannot play from behind. The offense isn’t built for it, and with all the injuries at this point, it’s going to be very difficult for Rivers to establish good rapports with his receivers to the point where he’s running on-point two-minute drills.

Additionally, to be quite honest, Rivers has never been that kind of gunslinger to bail you out with his arm. His offenses were always complemented with a stout running game, whether it was LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, Ryan Mathews or Melvin Gordon supporting him in the backfield.

As a result, for the rest of the year, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus needs to put a greater focus on shutting teams down in the first half. In the two games they didn’t do that (Week 1 and Week 5), they lost.

In the three games in between in which they punched the opposing offense in the mouth throughout the first 30 minutes, they won handily. The potential blueprint for a successful season is right in front of us. Keep the other team in check for the first half, establish the run, let Rivers make plays with his arm, and don’t turn the ball over.

It’s much easier said than done, but it’s clear what’s working.

Colts: It’s very clear Indy cannot win games when they don’t establish the run

It's very clear that the Indianapolis Colts cannot win games in which they fail to establish the run. We now have mounting evidence.