Tag: Gus Bradley

Through two games to begin the season, the Indianapolis Colts’ run defense hasn’t just struggled, but that unit has been run over by the Houston Texans and the Green Bay Packers.

The Colts surrendered 213 rushing yards to the Texans and 261 rushing yards to the Packers. That’s an average of 237.0 rushing yards per game allowed, which of course, is the worst in football. The Carolina Panthers, who rank 31st, are allowing 199.5 rushing yards per game.

In addition to that, and as expected, the 5.1 yards per rush attempt that the Colts are allowing ranks 28th.

At the end of the day, Gus Bradley is the defensive coordinator and has to shoulder the blame for what has transpired so far.

The emphasis on a heavy rotation up front takes players like Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner–prior to his injury–off the field. Against the Packers in particular, who had Malik Willis at quarterback, it should have been known that Green Bay was going to run the ball–so why did it take 164 rushing yards in the first quarter before we saw five man fronts and heavier boxes from the Colts?

“It starts with me as a play caller,” said Bradley on Tuesday via The Athletic. “Getting us in the right call, executing the call, things like that, I take full responsibility for that,” Bradley said. “I think also, though, you gotta look at (whether) there’s a bust on a play. (Whether) there’s a missed a tackle on a play. So, there are a few things that we looked at that said, ‘All right, it’s a shared responsibility.’ It’s not just one thing. We gotta correct all of these things and get them right.”

GM Chris Ballard can also take some of the blame here with the roster constructed in a way that is going to require Taven Bryan and Adetomiwa Adebawore–two undersized pass rushers–to see heavy playing time on running downs.

However, at this stage of the game, personnel-wise, there aren’t any real changes that can be made. This is the Colts defensive line group–although perhaps we do see more of Tyquan Lewis and/or Dayo Odeyingbo inside.

Lastly, the players have to perform, and that just isn’t happening. There have been way too many missed tackles, edges not being set, gaps not being filled by the linebackers, and defenders unable to get off blocks.

It’s Bradley’s job to draw up a game plan that puts the players in a position to make plays, but ultimately, the players have to go make it happen.

When things are this bad, there isn’t any one answer–it’s everything.

If the Colts are going to turn their season around, it starts with the run defense being significantly better. The negative trickle-down effect that a poor run defense has on the rest of the team is oftentimes just too much to overcome on a consistent basis.

“I’m a big believer in, ‘You see what you coach,’” Bradley said. “And right now, they’re not playing very good, so we’ve got to get it right as a coach, and if you’re not demanding it, you’re accepting it. That’s what the conversation (Monday) in the meeting was, ‘These things need to get right,’ and there’s accountability throughout (the coaches and players).”

The Indianapolis Colts defensive game plan against the Houston Texans was to play with lighter boxes to provide additional help for the secondary. Texans’ running back Joe Mixon then took full advantage.

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Mixon finished the game rushing for 159 yards at 5.3 yards per rush. As an offense, the Texans rushed for 213 yards, helping them dominate the time of possession as well.

Lighter boxes, as it suggests, comes with fewer players near the line of scrimmage, resulting in more space for the ball carrier to operate in and the opportunity for blockers to get to the second level.

Coming into the game, the Colts had to pick their poison, to a degree. With question marks in the secondary and the Texans boasting a trio of receivers that included Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell, Bradley opted to offer additional help on the back end.

Had the Colts chosen to emphasize limiting the run game, now there are more situations where the cornerbacks are left on an island. In general, it’s a tough situation to be in.

Now, that of course, doesn’t excuse the Colts’ play in the run game, even with lighter boxes. As Bradley also mentioned, he was surprised at how much the Colts struggled in that regard.

Whether any adjustments on Bradley’s part would have worked remains an unknown, but at some point if a team is continually running it right at you for five yards a pop, you have to try something new.

The combination of Mixon and the Texans receivers are going to allow that offense to really stress opposing defenses. If you try to take away one, the other can hurt you.

This upcoming game for the Colts will present another difficult challenge in that respect. Although the Packers will be without Jordan Love, they feature Josh Jacobs at running back, who averaged over 5.0 yards per rush in Week 1, and a group of tight ends and receivers–eight in total–who could get the ball at just about any moment.

On Wednesday, Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley met with reporters for his offseason program media availability. Bradley discussed a variety of topics, including the NFL draft, along with the cornerback and safety positions.

In case you missed it, here are the highlights from what Bradley had to say. To watch the full press conference, click here.

– It’s been a good offseason. The coaching staff has had the opportunity to go over things, and it’s exciting to have the players back in the building.

– What intrigues Bradley about Laiatu Latu is that he’s very polished and has a variety of pass-rush moves, using speed and power, and plays with a high effort. Those are qualities that can take time to develop at the NFL level, and Latu has a head start on them.

– One of the things that jumped off watching Latu was his athleticism. UCLA had him drop and Bradley added that you can see how quickly he’s able to flip his hips. Latu can rush from different stances and alignments as well, giving the Colts more versatility.

– The cornerback position is “wide open.” Bradley really likes the room they have with Dallis Flowers, JuJu Brents, and Jaylon Jones coming back. In determining who starts, consistency will be crucial. “Who’s going to step up and be that guy that takes the next step as a corner,” said Bradley.

– It was challenging for Brents last season who missed time due to injury as a rookie but was relied on heavily in the secondary. Bradley says they’re focusing on the fundamentals and a key aspect for Brents are identifying the formations, the motions, and the jets that the offense is using. Brents missed a lot of that last season during walkthroughs and training camp.

– With Jaylon Carlies’ experience as a safety in college, his knowledge of pass concepts is one of the reasons that the Colts were intrigued by him. Bradly says that if a player knows that part of the game, linebackers coach Richard Smith will get him to play with his hands and being physical. Bradley mentions is time with the Raiders when they had drafted and developed Divine Deablo, a college safety who converted to linebacker.

– Like cornerback, free safety is up for grabs as well. Bradley mentions Rodney Thomas, Nick Cross, and Daniel Scott competing for that role. He says it feels like a “pretty competitive group back there.”

– Bradley says that Thomas has really learned from the ups and downs of last season. He feels that Cross will be at his best as a free safety, mentioning that in college, he saw things really well when playing top-down.

– Bradley thought that Flowers was “really impressive” prior to his injury last season. The cornerback room is competitive, and they all get along great, but everyone has the sense that there are opportunities for playing time that are available.

– Bradley reiterates the importance of consistency and the lack of it being one of the biggest issues in 2023. There needs to be trust from the front end of the defense to the back. The continuity of being in the same system for a few years should result in players playing faster and with everyone having a good understanding of their roles, there is added accountability that the experienced players are providing early on this season.

– Bradley was asked what Kwity Paye means to the defense. He brought up the level of trust that everyone has in him. Paye’s work ethic day in and day out and that there is another level of play for him to reach. “He’s in a good space right now.”