Tag: Gus Bradley

Colts opt against renewing contracts of two defensive coaches

Some slight changes to the defensive coaching staff are coming.

The Indianapolis Colts will not renew the contracts of defensive line coach Nate Ollie and assistant defensive backs coach Mike Mitchell, per Joel A. Erickson of The Indianapolis Star.

These mark the first changes to Gus Bradley’s staff on the defensive side of the ball after what was an up-and-down season for the Colts defense.

Both Ollie and Mitchell worked under Bradley for the last two seasons. The pass rush has enjoyed a resurgence under Bradley and Ollie, which is why it’s a bit surprising to see the latter let go.

Mitchell has worked under defensive backs coach Ron Milus for the last two seasons, spending the majority of his time working with a young safety room that included Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II.

There aren’t expected to be major changes coming to the coaching staff this offseason, but these expired contracts at least show the staff will look somewhat different on the defensive side of the ball.

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Colts DC Gus Bradley expected to return for 2024

Gus Bradley is expected back for 2024.

Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is expected to return to his current role for the 2024 season.

Though there was some speculation that the Colts may part ways with Bradley considering the up-and-down season from his defensive unit, general manager Chris Ballard made it pretty clear during his end-of-season press conference that Bradley will remain under contract.

The defensive season certainly had its ups and downs. The scheme was pretty straightforward as well. Bradley’s scheme was mostly Cover-3 with some quarters (Cover-4) and Cover-1 mixed in. He also rarely disguised his coverages pre-snap.

According to Cody Alexander, Bradley’s scheme used disguised coverage near the lowest rate in the NFL.

Essentially, this tells us Bradley was using the same coverages the majority of the time while rarely using any pre-snap disguises to confuse the opposing offenses.

Bradley has never been one to disguise his coverages. That’s simply not a part of his scheme and philosophy. It also was partly due to the fact that the Colts trotted out such a young and inexperienced secondary.

Ballard came to Bradley’s defense a bit during his press conference this week while still acknowledging the failures of the unit.

“Look, it’s an area we have to improve. In a little bit of defense, the year before he comes in and we kind of had – I don’t want to say a veteran team, but we had some veteran players,” Ballard said. “Then I just said look, we’re going to go young in some spots. We went young in the secondary and look, there were some rough moments at times in the secondary and I don’t completely put that on them. I put that more on me, but how do you ever develop any continuity, especially with your own guys if you don’t just play them? So I decided to go young. We took our lumps, took our lumps at times but I think it’s going to pay off down the line for them.”

Ballard also admitted the points-per-game mark is an area that certainly needs to improve.

“The points do need to come down. We’ll continue to have long discussions about where we’re going and how we’ll get that done. But saying that, we had new starters on defense. We did do some good things too. We got after the passer pretty good. I think it’s got to be a little better but 51 sacks is pretty good,” Ballard said. “Took the ball away, we need to be a little better there in that area and we have to take away the explosives. But I would expect us to take another jump here this year on defense.”

The Colts defense allowed 24.4 points per game in 2023, which ranked as the fifth-most in the NFL, just ahead of the Denver Broncos (24.3) and just behind the Carolina Panthers (24.5).

The unit did rank 11th on third-down percentage (37.08%) and eighth in sacks per pass attempt (8.98%). However, the defense also ranked 24th in total yards per game (349.8), 24th in rushing yards per game (123.8), 25th in first downs per game (20.4) and 30th on fourth-down percentage (65.38%).

Bradley’s defense ranked middle of the pack in areas like total yards per play (16th), passing yards per game (16th), red-zone percentage (18th) and goal-to-go percentage (16th).

Going into Year 3 in Bradley’s scheme, the Colts will need to add some depth to the secondary and some competition to the interior defensive tackle positions.

Regardless, it appears the Colts are sticking by Bradley one way or another for the upcoming season.

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The Colts might want to switch their defensive plan against C.J. Stroud

C.J. Stroud has killed Cover-3 all season long, and the Colts play a ton of Cover-3. Something’s going to break on Saturday night.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has been one of the NFL’s most compelling rookies in recent years, regardless of position. He’s a primary reason why the Texans, who finished the 2022 season with a 3-13-1 record, are playing Saturday night for the AFC South championship at 9-7. Stroud and his comrades will tangle with a Colts defense that is quite underrated of late.

But this Colts defense has already seen more of Stroud than they might like. In Stroud’s second regular-season game of his NFL career, he carved Gus Bradley’s defense up to the tune of 30 completions in 47 attempts for 384 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 103.5.

In the rematch, Bradley might want to switch his priors around a bit. The Colts have played the NFL’s second-highest rate of Cover-3 this season (48.8%, behind only the Carolina Panthers’ 50.0%), and Stroud has killed Cover-3 all season long. The Colts in Week 2 played Cover-3 on a league-high 22 of Stroud’s dropbacks back then, and Stroud completed 14 of 19 passes for 178 yards, 95 air yards, both of his touchdowns, and a passer rating of 137.6 against Bradley’s favorite coverage. For the season, Stroud has completed 91 of 136 passes for 1,211 yards, 798 air yards, six touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 106.6 against Cover-3.

This 23-yard touchdown to rookie receiver Nathaniel “Tank” Dell in Week 2 had Stroud showing off one of his best throws against zone coverage — the quick out. The Texans had a mirrored concept here with two slot verts and two outside out routes, and the structure of the routes had Dell beating cornerback Darrell Baker, who was likely expecting Dell to run something vertical, underneath. Ready, set, go.

“He’s very talented,” Bradley said this week of Stroud. “First of all, he plays with great poise. He handles pressures, he handles looks, he handles different schemes very well. He gets the ball out timely. Does he hold it some? Yeah, because they take some shots, but it is timely when it is the quick game and when it’s in their intermediate passes. His accuracy is very good so – very poised, accurate, playing above the level of being a rookie. I think at this point in time, he’s not a rookie because the looks that he’s seen. He’s playing very well for them right now. I think they’re third or something in explosive passes. I know very high, I think the analytics told us so. He does a great job with the threats he has on the outside.”

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys get into Stroud’s return from a concussion, how he was able to dice up the Titans’ pass defense in Week 17, and what it all means for this crucial Saturday night matchup. The Colts will be ready with some serious improving players on the defensive side of the ball, and it’s important to remember that Stroud was also sacked six times in that Week 2 game.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Colts vs. Steelers: 5 things to watch in Week 15

Here are five things to watch for in Week 15.

The Indianapolis Colts will be looking to shake off their disappointing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals as they are set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Saturday matchup in Week 15.

This series hasn’t been favorable for the Colts. They have lost eight straight games to the Steelers with their last win in the series coming back in 2008.

The last time Indianapolis beat Pittsburgh at home came in 2005. This is another crucial AFC contest for the Colts with both teams currently in the playoffs and a win on Saturday can help create separation heading into the final three weeks of the season.

Here are five things to watch for when this game kicks off on Saturday afternoon:

4 key matchups for Panthers vs. Colts in Week 9

After tightening up their run defense last week, the Panthers have a hard-hitting challenge ahead of them against the Colts on Sunday.

The Carolina Panthers tasted their first win of the season last Sunday, showing some real strides against the Houston Texans in a 15-13 triumph. So, can they serve themselves up a second straight meal?

If so, here are four key matchups that’ll help them top the visiting Indianapolis Colts in Week 9:

Nick Cross proving to be versatile piece of Colts defense

The second-year safety has been a true standout this preseason.

Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross enters his second season in the league after what was a pretty disappointing rookie campaign.

Cross lost the starting strong safety job within the first month of the season and saw only special teams work for the remainder of his rookie year. It was disappointing considering what he’d shown during the preseason.

Entering his second season, though, there’s a much different tune surrounding his game. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley had plenty of praise for the progress Cross has made in 2023.

“Done very well. I’ll tell you what Nick (Cross) has done, he has proven to us that he has consistently played well at the strong safety spot,” Bradley told reporters Sunday. “But what his value to us is he can play free, he can play strong and in a pinch, he can play nickel.”

A third-round pick out of Maryland in 2022, the Colts made it a point to get Cross onto the roster during the draft. They traded back into the third round before the day was over in order to select him, and the pick they gave away wound up being the No. 67 overall selection (Drew Sanders) in 2023.

Cross entered the league at an extremely young age, turning 21 years old during the first week of the regular season. The talent he put on tape matched up with some elite athleticism, but when it came to the processing side of the ball, the rookie struggled to keep up.

But Cross was in the lab all offseason, working to ensure he understood the nuances of Bradley’s defense. That progress has shown up with certainty in Year 2, removing the doubts and hesitation from his game.

“As far as a role, he’s one play away from all those three positions where he has an opportunity to play or at least be in those discussions to play,” Bradley said. “I think last year, he wasn’t in that discussion. If we had an injury, maybe had a spot it was like, ‘Well, I don’t know if he’s quite ready.’ I think he’s really kind of erased that part of doubt for us.”

The secondary will be extremely young for the Colts. While the safety room has Julian Blackmon going into his fourth season, both Cross and Rodney Thomas II are going into Year 2.

It’s a young group brimming with potential.

With Cross improving his processing skills to match his elite athleticism, another layer of hope is added to Bradley’s defense.

Whatever it takes: Chargers’ Joey Bosa eating up to 5,000 calories to gain weight

Joey Bosa additional weight will be beneficial as the Chargers look to improve against the run.

To put on weight ahead of the 2023 season, Chargers edge defender Joey Bosa admitted that he had been eating between 4,500 and 5,000 calories this offseason.

“Eating isn’t really enjoyable these days,” Bosa said, per ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry. “It’s more so just part of the job.”

Bosa added that he’d eaten roughly five to six meals to hit the caloric target goal.

Bosa played around 265-270 pounds in the first five seasons in the NFL and dropped to 250 pounds these last two.

When Brandon Staley was hired as head coach in 2021, Bosa transitioned to an outside linebacker, requiring him to drop back into coverage. That meant he had to lose weight to be more fluid in space.

He is now back to his starting weight when he played a traditional defensive end position under former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.

He feels that the additional weight will add more power to his game to make him an impactful run defender again.

“I specifically tried to really eat good and put some weight on this offseason, get back to my weight I was at a few years ago, where I could really use my power,” Bosa explained. “Really handle guys in the run and be more effective in that part of the game.”

Bosa’s 2022 season was cut due to a groin injury that required surgery. He finished with 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble in just five games.

Now healthy, Bosa’s presence on the edge will boost a defense that lacked consistency at generating pressure and against the run.

“I definitely feel stronger,” Bosa said.

Colts vs. Bills: 5 things to know entering preseason Week 1

Here are five things to know as the Colts enter their first preseason game against the Bills.

The Indianapolis Colts travel Saturday to Orchard Park, NY, for their first action in the Shane Steichen era. The Buffalo Bills host the Colts at Highmark Stadium for a preseason Week 1 game.

With so many new faces and schemes still being installed, there is a lot to work out, but perhaps the most exciting part: Colts football is back.

Here are the five things to know for Week 1 of the preseason:

Chargers EDGE Joey Bosa emphasizing run defense this season

Joey Bosa is hoping to provide a boost to a struggling Chargers defense against the run.

Joey Bosa is one of the best in the NFL at getting after the quarterback. While he acknowledges that, Bosa is still looking to improve a particular area of his game.

Talking to the media following Thursday’s training camp session, Bosa said he wants to get better at defending the run.

“I feel like my run defense has gone down the last few years,” Bosa said. “I’m super focused on having more of an impact in the run game.”

Early in his professional career, Bosa played a traditional defensive end position under former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, which required more responsibilities to set the edge and play the run.

When Brandon Staley was hired in 2021, Bosa transitioned to an outside linebacker, requiring him to drop back into coverage. That meant he had to lose weight to be more fluid in space.

Bosa played around 265-270 pounds in the first five seasons and dropped to 250 pounds these last two. He is now back to his starting weight and feels that will add more power to his game to make him an impactful run defender again.

“I just think I’ll be a much more effective player and pass rush with my power, and be able to play the run a little more dirty,” Bosa added. “I kind of played at that weight for my first four or five years.

Just recently with the outside linebacker stuff, have felt comfortable dropping, but I think it’s a big part of my game to be able to be powerful and be strong. I think it was definitely a good change this offseason.”

Bosa’s 2022 season was cut due to a groin injury that required surgery. He finished with 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble in just five games.

Now healthy, Bosa’s presence on the edge will boost a defense that lacked consistency at generating pressure and against the run.

5 under-the-radar Colts players to watch at training camp

Taking a look at five under-the-radar Colts to keep an eye on at training camp.

The Indianapolis Colts start training camp next week where temperatures will be hot, but several Colts battles will be hotter. The team needs a spark, and these players could provide a much-needed boost.

With head coach Shane Steichen now leading the team, who will thrive under his leadership?

Here are the five under-the-radar Colts players to watch: