3 things the Colts defense must do better in 2022
3. Colts need to limit their defensive penalties
This point can honestly be said about both sides of the ball but the defense seemed to have a problem with penalties last season. They ranked 25th in most defensive penalties with 109. This equated to 978 yards which ranked 28th in the NFL. Penalties are a mindset and discipline issue. Adding a player isn’t necessarily going to fix the issue. However, adding more veteran presence, as the Colts have done on defense, may help resolve the issue.
Gus Bradley may also hold the players more accountable than Matt Eberflus and instill more discipline in them in hopes they commit fewer penalties. Rock Ya-Sin notoriously committed a lot of penalties (18 in his career) but he was sent out to bring in Ngakoue. The veteran leadership on the defense this season will play a huge role in this. With Buckner and Ngakoue on the line, Shaquille Leonard with the linebackers, and Gilmore in the secondary, this defense is set with veterans.
This is a small goal in the grand scheme of things but can still have a big impact on the game. Despite their high penalty numbers, the Colts did allow the fewest opponent first downs earned via penalty (20), so they have that going for them. All-in-all, this year’s defense should be better than last barring injury.
Although a lot of key players left or retired, Ballard was able to add more seasoned players in return which will not only impact the starting lineup but the depth if an injury were to arise. The defense was keying in on turnovers last season and that will also be a huge factor this season as well. The Colts’ defense will need to bounce back this season to prove they are once again the leader in the AFC South and can contend for a championship.
