Here’s why the Colts defense hasn’t been as dominant as they were expected to be

The defense for the Indianapolis Colts was expected to be an elite unit this season but they haven’t looked like that through the first two games.

The Indianapolis Colts are preparing for Week 3 with a 0-1-1 record. Expected to be a top contender this season, Indy’s struggles in the first two weeks have been well covered since everyone is so surprised. The offensive struggles for the Colts have been getting most of the headlines and that has allowed the underperformance of Indianapolis’ defense to fly under the radar.

Entering the season, Indy was expected to have one of the league’s best defenses. Defensively, the Colts were already a solid unit last year that specialized in takeaways and they returned three Pro Bowl players. Additionally, Indy added Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore. This talent was on display in training camp as the defense consistently dominated the offense.

That gave everyone the idea that Indy’s defense would be a scary force in the regular season. However, that hasn’t been the case. Through two games, the Colts are allowing 22 points a game (17th in the NFL) and 315 total yards a game (11th in the NFL). That’s not really bad but it is rather mediocre.

Considering Indy’s talent level and the two offenses they’ve played, Houston and Jacksonville, it’s safe to say that the defense is currently underperforming. Why is that? There are a few reasons why, let’s take a look at them.

4. Colts miss Shaquille Leonard

The absence of All-Pro linebacker, Shaquille Leonard, is one of the first reasons many will jump to. Although Indy’s defensive struggles have been bigger than the linebacker spot, Leonard not being on the field is something that’s noticeable.

The Colts have tremendous linebacker depth, and that’s been evident in the play of Zaire Franklin and EJ Speed in the first two weeks. Both Franklin and Speed have been pretty solid against the run and that’s why that is one of the few defensive areas Indy is excelling at, only allowing 86.5 rushing yards a game, good for ninth-best in the NFL.

However, neither Franklin nor Speed are the pass defenders or playmakers that Shaquille Leonard is. A healthy Leonard makes a difference in the passing game and he also will find a way to make plays on the ball, something the Colts haven’t really been able to do in the first two weeks.

Through two games, Indianapolis only has one takeaway. That came from a forced fumble by Speed in Week 1. When Leonard returns to the lineup, his infectious energy alone will help the defense improve and make plays. However, that won’t solve all of the issues. There are a couple of other things plaguing the defense right now.

3. Indy’s defensive stars aren’t playing like stars

Most teams go as their best players go. When the top players are excelling, the team is prospering. When those top players are struggling, so is the team. That’s why it’s important for teams’ stars to play like stars. That hasn’t been the case for the Colts’ defense in the first two games.

The promise of Indy’s defense was about how many Pro Bowl players the team had at each level. DeForest Buckner and Yannick Ngakoue on the defensive line, Shaq Leonard in the middle, and Stephon Gilmore and Kenny Moore in the defensive backfield. We already covered how Leonard has been out, but these other top players who have been active haven’t been playing up to their reputations.

Buckner has played in both games and he has eight tackles, one for a loss, but just two quarterback hurries. No sacks or knockdowns from the Pro Bowl defensive tackle. Ngakoue, who was traded for to be a difference in the pass rush, hasn’t been much better. He has three total pressures, a hurry, and two knockdowns but no sacks.

Stephon Gilmore hasn’t been bad but he hasn’t been a shutdown corner either. He’s been targeted 15 times and allowed just six catches for 58 yards in two games but he has left some plays on the field. Kenny Moore, on the other hand, has been targeted 10 times and allowed eight receptions for 74 yards and one touchdown. Both of these corners will have to improve for Indy to reach its potential.

But, it’s not just the veterans either. Promising young players like Julian Blackmon have dropped interceptions or missed plays that have to be made if this defense is going to be elite. Guys have to start stepping up and playing big.

2. Gus Bradley’s scheme is a work in progress

The Colts didn’t just add new defensive players this offseason, they got a new defensive coordinator in Gus Bradley and a brand new system. Often when implementing a new system, there can be growing pains. That could be why Indy’s players aren’t playing to the best of their abilities yet.

Bradley even admitted to the media on Tuesday that he believes a lot of guys are still thinking their way through plays as opposed to knowing what they’re doing and flying around to make plays. It’s typically not a good thing when players are doing too much thinking on the field. Things should get better as everyone gets more familiar, hopefully, that’s just sooner rather than later.

In addition to players’ comfort in the new system, it also looked like the scheme itself was a problem in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars. Jacksonville constantly had open wide receivers or was able to capitalize on matchups that put the Colts at a disadvantage. This could’ve been a case of Bradley being out-schemed or it could be because the players may not have been in the right spots since they’re still getting familiar with their responsibilities.

Whatever the case is, the defense has to get comfortable and figure things out fast. The NFL isn’t going to wait around and if Indy takes too long to play to its ability, the season will quickly slip away.

1. The offense isn’t helping the defense out

Every week, the phrase complementary football is used to describe how teams want to play. Essentially, it refers to how the offense and defense can complement each other so that the team can have a great game and come out victorious. Throughout the first two weeks of this season, the Colts haven’t been playing good complementary football.

While the bottom line is that the defense needs to play well and stop the opposing team from scoring, that has been harder for Indianapolis’ defense since the offense is struggling. When an offense fails to get rolling, the defense is on the field a lot and often with bad field position. Even when the defense finds ways to make stops, opposing teams have a lot of opportunities to stay in the game or extend their lead because the offense can’t score.

But, to be fair, Indy’s defense hasn’t entirely held up its end of the bargain either. In the Week 2 game in Jacksonville, both the defense and the offense were letting each other down. The Colts’ defense struggled to get off the field on third downs, so they were unable to get the ball back to the offense.

Whenever the offense did get the ball, they would put together a short unproductive drive and send the defense right back on the field. In other words, the Colts were just a complementary mess and that’s why the outcome was what it was.

In order for things to turn around, the defense has to correct a lot of the mistakes they’ve been making, but the offense is also going to have to start helping them out. Unless Indianapolis develops into an all-time stifling defense, the team is going to need some points and sustained drives from the offense.

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