Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is one of the more experienced coaches in football. He's been teaching defensive coverages since before Daniel Jones was a thought in his parents' minds. But he can be a bit stuck in his ways at times.
To his credit, those ways have typically worked. His Colts defense hasn't necessarily been elite this season, but he has produced some championship-caliber units over the years. His rules, for the most part, are tried and true.
Against the Minnesota Vikings, though, he'll need to throw his rules out the window. To shut down Kyler Murray and the Vikings' offense, he has to lean into something he's rarely done this season: blitzing.
Indianapolis Colts can take advantage of a glaring Kyler Murray weakness
To be clear, Murray hasn't been a world beater with the Vikings this season. Among 38 qualifying quarterbacks, he ranks 26th in EPA per play.
He's improved in the weeks leading up to Minnesota's Week 6 bye, though, ranking inside the league's top half in EPA per play, success rate, and completion rate. He's finding his rhythm in Kevin O'Connell's offense and getting his top targets more involved.
Even as he's risen in the NFL's quarterback ranks, Murray's weakness against the blitz has been obvious. When defenses bring extra pass rushers, he goes from being an average quarterback to one of the worst in the NFL.
Murray vs. No Blitz | Murray vs. 6+ Rushers | |
|---|---|---|
EPA per dropback | 0.08 (18th) | -0.88 (37th) |
Success rate | 43.2% (24th) | 25% (35th) |
Completion rate | 74.2% (3rd) | 50% (33rd) |
Murray's struggles against the blitz are nothing new. In 2024, his last full season as a starter, he ranked 38th out of 39 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per play against six or more pass rushers.
This is the most obvious weakness in the Vikings' offense, and the Colts must find a way to exploit it on Sunday.
Colts need a Lou Anarumo shift to beat Vikings in Week 7
There's one clear problem: Lou Anarumo doesn't blitz, at least not as often as most other defensive coordinators.
The Colts rank 30th in blitz rate this season at 21.5%, and their pass rush has suffered for it. They have the lowest pressure rate in the league, giving quarterbacks ample time to get the ball off from a clean pocket.
Anarumo may never be as blitz-happy as Brian Flores, whom the Colts offense will be pitted against this week, but he has to lean into the blitz a bit more than he typically does, just for one game. His ability to send pressure at Murray could end up being the difference in saving this Colts season and allowing his team to drop to 2-5.
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