The Indianapolis Colts will kick off the season by hosting one of the toughest opponents on their schedule. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens will be in town for Jesse Minter's head-coaching debut.
That's definitely not what the doctor ordered for a head coach who might be in the hot seat and a quarterback coming off a major injury. However, Shane Steichen and Daniel Jones already tormented Minter's defense last season.
The Colts hit the road to take down the Los Angeles Chargers 38-24, putting up 401 total yards of offense (including 288 passing yards), no turnovers, a perfect 3-for-3 on fourth down, and four scores in five trips to the red zone. It might not be the same on Sept. 12, but Steichen has the blueprint.
The Indianapolis Colts know how to attack Jesse Minter's defense
For a guy with a solid reputation as a young, bright, and bold defensive mind, Minter's defensive game plan vs. the Colts actually left plenty to be desired. There was little to no pre-snap motion or disguised coverage, just a bunch of quarters and one-on-one matchups.
As shown by Colts Film Room on X and Daniel Jones' Next Gen Stats passing chart, it was a pretty uneventful afternoon for the quarterback. He didn't need to try the deep ball with throws over the top, and he just made a living out of attacking the flat and outside the hashes.
Of course, Minter might've also noticed that when he watched (and then burned) that tape, and he's unlikely to run the same scheme and game plan. However, he does have similar personnel in his new defense, and that's been a common trend in his defenses.
The Colts have two short-yardage specialists in Josh Downs and Keenan Allen. They can both do a lot with a little, make plays in tight spaces out of the slot, and thrive with underneath throws, especially on third down.
There's also Tyler Warren, a perennial downfield threat between the hashes who will benefit from the defensive backs playing deep, just like he did against the Chargers last season by hauling in four catches on five targets for 69 yards and one score.
Coach Steichen has caught plenty of slack for the team's playoff drought, and rightfully so, but he deserves the benefit of the doubt for how he uses matchups and how he can adjust to whatever the other team is showing him on defense.
Minter will be under a ton of pressure as a first-year guy making his debut on the road, and he'll likely stick to what he's already scripted for this matchup. Unless he gets much more creative and throws some different looks, his defense could be in for a rude awakening in Week 1.
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