The Indianapolis Colts' secondary was exposed to an Arizona Cardinals team with a smart head coach who knew how to attack an ailing secondary on Sunday. While the Colts got the win, the Cardinals exposed the lack of depth in the secondary if the top players go down.
In pregame warm-ups, Charvarius Ward collided with a teammate and went down. After being evaluated, Ward was out for the game, leaving a major hole in the Colts' secondary. With Ward down, Johnathan Edwards for forced into the lineup, and Arizona knew it.
Having your best cover corner go down in pre-game warm-ups is never a good thing, but having an opposing coach who can scheme on the fly to attack that hole is even worse. Marvin Harrison Jr. went out early with an injury, and the Cardinals were already missing James Connor and Kyler Murray, but somehow managed to put up 27 points.
The Indianapolis Colts' lack of secondary depth is still a real problem
Despite key signings in the offseason, the Colts' depth in the secondary remains a major hole for them. On paper, the defense is one of the best in the league, but once that lineup shifts, there are major questions. When the secondary lacks coverage skills, the defense must make up that deficiency from somewhere, and that's usually blitzing.
Lou Anarumo elected to switch up his typical game plan and offer up some disguises rather than blitz more. The main difference is that the linebackers, whose strength is in tackling and filling up holes, were forced into pass coverage, where they struggled.
On a few plays, Trey McBride lined up against Johnathan Edwards, who looked like a deer in headlights - being thrown into the starting lineup the day of a game will do that to you.
In particular, on a key third down and long, McBride kept Edwards in flat feet and ran a perfect post to move the chains. The Cardinals' offense attacked the linebackers in pass coverage and got McBride in one-on-one matchups where he could win. Like the Rob Gronkowski of old, McBride is too fast for a linebacker and too big for a safety to cover, leading to a matchup advantage.
While the film does show that Edwards struggled, giving up 27 points to a backup quarterback, running back, and receiver isn't placed at the feet of one person. Rather, the Cardinals knew how to attack the Colts' defense and took advantage of their best defenders being out. This, again, shows the lack of preparation in Chris Ballard's foresight.
As a big Ballard supporter, let's not forget he's built one of the best offenses in the league this year. I was glad he went into free agency and spent some money. But the Colts still have major holes that need to be filled. With Kenny Moore II and Ward out, the defense will struggle.
With the Colts playing the Los Angeles Chargers this week, the Colts could get exposed once again. If Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston play at an elite level, the Chargers will be a major test for the Colts' defense, still licking their wounds from the Cardinals contest.