While the overall team has had an up-and-down season, the Indianapolis defense has been consistently bad all year long. Opponents are averaging 379 yards of total offense against the Colts, who are getting torched both through the air and on the ground. Worst of all, it's not just the elite teams that are exposing Indianapolis. Some of the least productive offenses in the league — the Patriots (32nd), Jets (31st), and Jaguars (28th) — have each piled a mountain of points on the Colts.
The weekly beatings have raised questions about the reason behind Indianapolis' defensive collapse. The answer is that a defense this bad has to be the product of a complete organizational failure. General manager Chris Ballard hasn’t assembled the right personnel, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is getting outcoached, and the individual players are falling short of expectations. Clearly, there’s more than enough blame to go around.
Front Office
To an extent, the Colts’ defensive issues aren’t all that surprising. There were serious concerns about the unit before the season even started, given a severe lack of talent at key positions. While Chris Ballard has admittedly built a solid front 7 (at least on paper) with trades, free agents, and draft picks, his handling of the secondary has been criminally negligent.
Last season, opposing QBs shredded the Colts’ defensive backs, who were inexperienced, error-prone, and outmatched. Rather than bring in offseason reinforcements, Ballard essentially returned the same group that was the team’s biggest weakness in 2023. Unsurprisingly, they continue to disappoint. This front office gambled on an unproved secondary, betting on their young DBs to stay healthy (JuJu Brents) and improve dramatically (Jaylon Jones and Nick Cross). Ballard lost that bet and the team is paying the price.
Coaching Staff
While the front office is responsible for roster construction, the coaches are tasked with maximizing their players’ abilities on the field. Unfortunately, Gus Bradley is now in his third year in Indianapolis and, once again, his unit is among the league’s worst. Bradley’s scheme — a base 4-3 alignment that rarely blitzes and Cover 3 zone defense — is designed to prevent explosive plays. However, this “bend but don’t break” strategy has been exposed.
The Colts’ opponents are averaging nearly 150 rushing yards per game and completing over 70% of passes. The problem is that Bradley has failed to adapt and make much-needed adjustments when his gameplan isn’t working. Offenses are taking advantage of the same defensive front, soft coverage, and 4-man rush that Bradley keeps throwing at them. Although head coach Shane Steichen continues to back his DC, Bradley has done little to inspire confidence.
Players
The Indianapolis front office and coaching staff have certainly made mistakes, but we can’t let the players themselves off the hook. At the end of the day, they are the ones who have to execute in the game, and that’s not happening right now. The Colts’ defense features several standout individuals who have historically performed well under Bradley. This year, many of those players are not meeting their usual high standards.
For example, Indianapolis leads the league in missed tackles (and it’s not even close) with team captains Zaire Franklin and Kenny Moore surprisingly struggling. Beyond tackling miscues, the Colts have also suffered from other self-inflicted wounds like busted coverages, poor run fits, and losing contain on the edge. If Indianapolis wants to field a disciplined defense, the players have to clean up their act and get the fundamentals down. Otherwise, any personnel or playcalling changes won’t make a difference.