The Indianapolis Colts will enter their Week 11 showdown against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers with the NFL’s fourth-ranked scoring defense and first-ranked defense by yards allowed.
So what makes the Colts defense so good?
Rodgers has an answer. During his weekly media session on Wednesday, the Packers quarterback casually rattled off an in-depth scouting report on the Colts in just about 60 seconds.
His answer:
“They good at all three levels. They’ve got a really nice front, penetrating, sets the edge, some really good players up front, they’ve been doing a good job getting after the passer. They’re a vision defense. A lot of vision to the football. They swarm. Create turnovers. Play the timing of the defense really well. Really good linebackers, fast and athletic who flow downhill in the gaps. Good tacklers. The backend does a nice job communicating and getting on the same page running all the different coverages they run. Seem to be smart, heady players. Vision to the football. And they don’t make a lot of mistakes. They make you go the distance, make you earn it. They’ve been tough against the run and pass, I believe they’re top five in both categories.”
Rodgers is correct: The Colts have allowed the NFL’s second-fewest passing yards and third-fewest rushing yards in 2020.
The Indianapolis defense also ranks first in the league in yards allowed per play (4.8) and opposing passer rating (78.9), second in interception percentage (3.8), third in rushing yards per attempt (3.5), fourth in takeaways (13), fifth in completion percentage (62.2) sixth in passing yards per attempt (6.8) and ninth in sack percentage (6.8).
By DVOA, the Colts defense is fourth. By Pro Football Focus grade, the Colts defense is sixth.
This is, by any definition, one of the league’s elite units. They’ll present a great challenge to the Packers, who rank third in scoring and could be at or near full strength on offense come Sunday.
Rodgers pointed to Pro Bowl linebacker Darius Leonard as the engine of the Colts attack.
“He does it all,” Rodgers said. “He’s a really heady player. He’s super athletic sideline to sideline. He’s also a willing and very good tackler. He’s one of those guys that makes them go. It’ll be a fun challenge for us. I have a ton of respect for him as a player.”
The Colts have similar respect for Rodgers, who has 26 touchdown passes and leads the NFL in passer rating through 10 weeks.
Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said Rodgers still has the arm talent, movement ability and instincts of a great passer, via Kevin Hickey of Colts Wire.
“We’ll have to be on top of our game. It’s going to take every one of us. It’s going to take the rush as well as the cover and vice versa. It’s going to be so important that we are on the details every single snap and we want to accomplish what we want to get done for each and every play and each and every down. He’ll make you pay if you don’t and he’s proven that over the course of his career and he’s been really good at it, so we’ll have to be on it this week.”
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