The Indianapolis Colts special teams unit underwent a slight makeover during the 2023 offseason following the departure of Bubba Ventrone and the arrival of new coordinator Brian Thomas.
As a whole, the unit had its ups and downs. There were bright moments like the two big plays on blocked punts against the Tennessee Titans. There were also some lapses. They allowed the ninth-most punt return yards (360) and the seventh-most yards per kick returns (26.1).
Rick Gosselin released his annual special teams rankings for the 2023 season, and the Colts found themselves right in the middle of the pack at No. 16 overall.
There is always an adjustment period when a new coordinator takes over, regardless of whether it comes on offense, defense or special teams. Losing Ventrone was going to make life a bit difficult on the unit, especially considering how well they ranked throughout his tenure with the Colts.
There were some injuries that played a factor as well. Losing Ashton Dulin, one of the best gunners in the NFL, due to a torn ACL was a huge blow. Then, the team lost cornerback and return man Dallis Flowers to a torn Achilles a year after he led the NFL in yards per return. Both players were regarded as two of the best special teamers on the entire roster.
Meanwhile, punter Rigoberto Sanchez was working his way back from a torn Achilles that claimed his entire 2022 season.
On punt returns, Isaiah McKenzie spent the majority of the season as the return man. He was pretty inefficient, though, averaging 8.9 yards per return on 23 returns. The team as a whole only return nine total kicks during the season thanks to the new kickoff rules.
Barring a surprising move, Mason will be back for his second season as the special teams coordinator in 2024, and it will be interesting to see if the return of both Dulin and Flowers can get this unit back to where it was before.
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