Maybe no defensive group has had it rougher than the Indianapolis Colts' this season, and they may not be out of the woods anytime soon. That said, all it takes is a few steps toward improvement to get the ball rolling, and Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers is the Colts' defense's next chance to keep stepping forward.
The Colts have allowed the second-most yards per game this season (392.3 total yards), ranking 31st in the NFL in combined passing (261.3) and rushing (131.0) yards allowed. Indianapolis started the year in historically bad shape, surrendering a massive 1,029 total yards over their first two games.
Since their overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, the Colts' defense has tightened up, holding opponents to just 540 total yards combined over their last two games. Those two games also happened to be wins, and Colts veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner believes the defense's steady improvement has been key.
DeForest Buckner believes the Indianapolis Colts' defense is getting better by each week
One game at a time is how a football team improves. Maybe the Colts were supposed to lose to the Baltimore Ravens and the Chiefs—and they could have beaten the Chiefs—so jumping on them with overbearing levels of verocity is an overreaction. Still, the Colts deserved criticism not for the losses, but for how they lost those two opening games.
Giving up over 1,000 yards to the opponent's offenses is unacceptable. Still, what the Colts' defense has done since then that can give Colts fans renewed optimism is also what Buckner sees, and if he's seeing a change for the better, then maybe things truly are turning a corner.
During a media session this week, Buckner, after being asked about the Colts' improving defense in Weeks 3 and 4, responded by pointing out how the defense has gotten significantly better on first and second downs, and especially on third downs, and getting off the field quicker so the Colts offense can get back on the field has been key.
Another major cleanup point has been open-field tackles. In the first two games, the Colts’ defense missed 28 of those types of tackles, which was a significant change-up from missing just four against the Houston Texans in Week 3, for example.
Buckner's comments about getting off the field earlier were proven by the Colts forcing four three-and-outs in their Week 4 victory over the Washington Commanders. In the first two weeks, they had forced just three combined three-and-outs.
With Buckner directly involved, the Colts' front seven have also significantly increased their pressure, with help from Grover Stewart and Laiatu Latu.
Indianapolis has gone from allowing 37 points per game in Weeks 1 and 2 to 15 points per game in Weeks 3 and 4. That is a stark contrast in numbers. If the Colts are truly getting better on defense, and it proves to be long-lasting, shutting down Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers’ offense is the next step in this defensive turnaround.
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