Colts defense struggles to consistently stop the pass
Sunday’s game against the Raiders was pretty representative of how Indianapolis’ defense has performed all season. They fly around and routinely force impressive turnovers but when they aren’t taking the ball away, they can be vulnerable against the pass.
Against Las Vegas, the defense had two interceptions but also allowed Derek Carr to complete 24-of-31 passes for 255 yards and one touchdown.
Zay Jones and Hunter Renfrow were AMAZING against the Colts ☠
— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) January 4, 2022
Renfrow: 85.8 Receiving Grade (5th among WRs in Week 17)
Jones: 85.0 (6th) pic.twitter.com/3tcJf9TWfJ
On average, the Colts’ defense allows 235.2 passing yards a game, which ranks them 18th in the NFL. Being in the AFC, that could be very troublesome for Indy in the postseason.
Of the top-10 passing attacks in the league, five are AFC teams that have either already clinched a playoff spot or can do so on Sunday. There’s also a great chance that Indianapolis sees one of them in the first round.
Aside from the Patriots and the Titans, the Colts’ road through the AFC playoffs will be against pass-first teams. Indianapolis needs to clean up the pass defense as best as it can in the next two weeks.
If the defense is unable to improve against the pass, they will be left relying on turnovers. While they have been good at forcing them, turnovers should be a luxury for defenses with Super Bowl aspirations, not a necessity.
Colts’ 3 biggest strengths entering playoffs
With the playoffs approaching, the Indianapolis Colts will have to lean on the things that made them successful for a strong run.