After one game, the Indianapolis Colts have plenty of problems to solve and cracks to fill. The Baltimore Ravens' 18-point blowout win last weekend made that all the clearer. The thing is, it doesn't get any easier for the Colts—their next opponent is the Kansas City Chiefs, who look much different than last year.
Much can be said about the Colts' performance against the Ravens, including defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and his game plan. A game plan that failed in more ways than one, especially at linebacker and in the secondary, has time to improve, and Anarumo and head coach Shane Steichen have already started.
One of the biggest storylines to come out of Indianapolis this week was the decision to demote safety Cam Bynum, not from his starting role, but from a leadership role that Anarumo gave him before the season's start.
Cam Bynum says the Indianapolis Colts' green dot change is what's best for the team
Instead of being the direct line of communication from Anarumo to the Colts' defense, Bynum will pass those responsibilities to Akeem Davis-Gaither, a move Bynum completely supports.
Not long ago, the Colts made a defensive decision that reflects the norm for Anarumo, who, while with the Cincinnati Bengals, also used a safety like Von Bell as the main point of communication. It's out of the ordinary for most NFL teams, but it worked for Anarumo in the past and made sense at the time when he did the same with Bynum in late August.
At the time, Bynum was thrilled for the opportunity, saying, "I take pride in being able to carry that communication straight from the coach and give everything that I need to say to the other guys.[Anarumo] said when a linebacker has it, he's always telling something to the safeties anyway.
"It's a different thing," Bynum continued, "It's easy to run back, but when you have to talk and say the full call, and the call is a full sentence long, sometimes they get long-winded. I have to be able to achieve my last play myself, digest what I saw from the offense, but I'm also hearing the next play call."
Well, it took one game for the Colts' coaching staff to shift course, but it might be for the better, given the positions on the field. Most NFL teams choose linebackers as the green dot wearer because of their closer proximity to the defensive line, while the safety is farther back in the secondary.
No one side-eyed Anarumo's choice to give Bynum the call because of his history with the Bengals. Now, things have changed, and the Colts have decided to delegate playcalling to linebacker Davis-Gaither, who also happens to be a former Bengals player under Anarumo.
Losing a key leadership role like this would likely disappoint many players. Bynum, however, recently voiced his support for the decision and for Davis-Gaither.
“I think it’s a great decision for Akeem to do it," Bynum said, via The Athletic's James Boyd. "Especially me being one of the leaders and being the safety, the main mode of communication on the back end. So I think it will help that I can focus on lining up and being able to faciliate on the back end, especially when Akeem is able to help out the D-line and tell the D-line certain things and talk to the DBs.
"So it's perfect that he's right in the middle of the defense, where he can relay the stuff to the front, I can do the stuff on the back end, and then I think it creates better communication from front to back. So I think it's really a good thing and I'm fully in agreement. Glad that Akeem is also on the same page too."
It's not that Bynum unforgivably dropped the ball and got the keys taken away. The decision to upgrade Davis-Gaither's role is more about communication and making sure it's executed better, and linebackers are in a much better position to do that.
What can't be overlooked is how Bynum responded to the move. Supporting his teammate is a solid morale move, and after the bruising the Colts' defense just took from the Ravens, positive morale and locker room vibes are exactly what the Colts need right now.
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