The Indianapolis Colts defense largely performed well during the season and didn't give up the big play too often. However, there were a few games where the Colts had the lead going into the fourth quarter and lost. Indianapolis' defense struggled against better offenses and the young secondary didn't fair well either.
In the offseason the Colts let Stephon Gilmore walk in free agency leaving a young and inexperienced secondary that was even more depleted when Dallas Flowers went down with a torn ACL and Julian Blackmon who also went down with a significant injury. This left the three corners and safety drafted in April to lead the secondary.
This all came to fruition during the Saints game when Derek Carr torched the Colts for over 300 yards and the young corners gave up multiple big plays and a facemask penalty that led to the game-sealing touchdown.
Indianapolis Colts need more from their secondary in 2024
The Colts finished the season at 20th in passing defense and gave up 3,666 yards and 21 touchdowns with just 15 interceptions. They also averaged just over 10 yards per catch and 6.4 yards per attempt. They also allowed 215 yards per game on average throughout the season.
The Colts also ranked 19th on third down giving up 89 first downs through the air. They also had a second-worst 1,137 plays from scrimmage. While the Colts had a 63% chance of getting off the field and were good at forcing third downs, the Colts could not capitalize in key moments. In particular the Jaguars, Saints, and Browns game come to mind where the defense struggled to get off the field in key moments.
This offseason the Colts do not have a veteran corner signed for the 2024 season and fan favorite Kenny Moore II is a free agent. If the Colts want to be successful in 2024, they must do something about the secondary.