The Indianapolis Colts defense stood no chance against Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars this past weekend, largely because of miscues and missteps against the Jaguars' offense; Lawrence needed only 10 completions and 210 passing yards to lead Jacksonville to the win.
Jacksonville's offense wasn't spectacular (though they rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns), and the scoreboard was shocking; the Colts' defense simply crumbled on every Jaguars possession. Furthermore, Indianapolis's defense struggled with the same things they've struggled with all season.
Lou Anarumo is no stranger to at least one of the Colts' defensive letdowns this season, because the same problem plagued the long-time defensive coordinator during his tenure with the Cincinnati Bengals, and it's killing the Colts today. If Anarumo can't fix it, well, just look at where the Colts are headed right now.
Missed tackles are plaguing the Colts' defense like they plagued Lou Anarumo's Bengals' defenses
Massive yards allowed and mediocre pressure from the front line have doomed the Colts' defense this season since the first snap. Anarumo's group has sat at or near dead last in the NFL in points allowed per game, total yards allowed per game, and passing yards allowed per game.
The Colts' pass rush hasn't come alive through eight weeks either, as players like edge rusher Laitu Latu have struggled to get to the opposing quarterback. On top of that, Anarumo's linebackers have seemingly been targeted and picked apart every game, and it's opened up a massive weakness that needs to be fixed.
Nothing has drowned Anarumo's defense more than missed tackles, though. Abysmal tackling has landed the Colts' defense consistently ranked near the bottom of the league in not just missed tackles, but also yards given up after contact and the catch.
For Anarumo, however, this isn't new. In Cincinnati, where he was defensive coordinator from 2019 to 2024, his defenses often struggled with missed tackles. In the two years before he left the Bengals for the Colts, Anarumo's defenses often hovered around league-average or below-average in missed-tackle rates and physical consistency.
What Bengals fans saw in Cincinnati is what Colts fans are seeing today in Indianapolis—a major Anarumo problem has followed him to the Colts, and this season, significantly more than last, we're seeing the worst of it.
After eight weeks, the Colts defense ranks 22nd in the NFL, giving up an average of 343.5 yards per game. To break it down further, they rank 12th in passing yards allowed per game (211.8) and 27th in rush yards (131.8). To drive the point home further, the Colts rank 29th in the league in total sacks (2) and 31st in takeaways (3), including just two interceptions.
These defensive numbers cannot translate to winning football, and it's precisely why the Colts are losing. Yes, Daniel Jones's struggles on offense are a major factor; there's no doubt, but the Colts’ defense is drowning itself, and how Anarumo fixes it looks like a huge toss-up right now.
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