The defense of the Indianapolis Colts has been dominating the offense in training camp and it’s hard to determine if that’s good or bad.
Training camp is the first opportunity for a team to really be evaluated after all of their offseason moves. With explosive trades, big free agency signings, and promising draft picks, camp is when everything comes together and a franchise finally sees what they’re working with.
For the Indianapolis Colts, training camp has yielded some interesting results so far. The defense, a unit that got a lot of attention this offseason, has been dominant, even without Shaquille Leonard on the field. The offense, however, has been up and down. They started camp with some impressive plays, but overall, things have been inconsistent.
Now, it has become a theme in Colts camp for the defense to dominate the offense. That has been the case for Indianapolis every day that the team has been in pads. The defense is clearly the superior unit and they’re making it known. However, this one-sided battle could be concerning for Indy and its offense.
Defense won another practice. They’ve gotten the better of the offense every day in pads.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) August 10, 2022
Are Colts’ offensive struggles in camp cause for concern?
The defense consistently getting the better of the offense could mean a couple of things. It could either mean that Indy’s defense is elite or that the offense is still struggling. It could also mean both since there are a lot of things at play.
Typically, defenses develop faster than offenses do in camp, so it’s possible that the Colts’ defense is just already clicking while the offense is still working to learn, grow, and develop. If that’s the case, there shouldn’t be much worrying because the offense will eventually get up to speed.
This is also a defense that was talented last season and added Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore while also getting back Julian Blackmon at safety. Maybe Indianapolis’ offense is good but the defense is just an elite squad that the world hasn’t got to see yet. This would probably be the best-case scenario.
The last option is that Indy’s defense is solid but the problem is that the offense is just an inconsistent unit. If that’s the reality, the Colts need to be worried. Indy passed up on plenty of wide receivers this offseason as well as other positions like left tackle that could’ve improved the offense. This late into the offseason, it would likely take a blockbuster trade for Indy to add a piece that will make a monumental difference.
Since that’s unlikely, the Colts will just have to work with what they have. The upcoming preseason games should provide Indy with more clarity. If the offense is able to get rolling against other teams, then it just means that Indy’s defense was causing the problems. But, if the Colts are also inconsistent and struggle in the preseason, then Indianapolis has a problem.
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