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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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
How Isaiah Rodgers Sr.’s suspension impacts the Colts.
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Indianapolis Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. is expected to receive a season-long suspension from the league for violating the NFL’s policy on gambling.
The news was handed down Wednesday in response to an investigation that raised concerns that Rodgers was part of numerous bets on NFL games, reportedly including some that involved the team.
The expected unavailability of Rodgers casts serious doubt on the strength of the Colts’ cornerback unit. Despite returning veteran Kenny Moore II, the group is fragile regarding experience.
Several players are limited in starting experience, instead having niche skillsets related to special teams. Not to mention, the remaining unit is exceptionally young including this year’s draft class haul of Julius Brents, Jaylon Jones, and Darius Rush.
If the team chooses not to sign a veteran cornerback to replace Rodgers, fifth-round pick Darius Rush could get the nod to start in his place. Rush has elite athleticism with long arms that could help his assimilation into the role. However, asking Rush and several rookies to start in the secondary will be very challenging for the Colts and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.
What could help these young players is a quick, explosive pass rush that can disrupt games and stop passing attacks. The team’s 11th-ranked defense, which produced 44 sacks and a pressure rate of 22% in 2022, will need to step up again to help mitigate the secondary youth. Additionally, this could be a prime opportunity for Kenny Moore to shine.
Before the beginning of last season, he wanted a new contract that matched his belief that not only was he the best slot corner in the NFL, but one of the best in the league, period. This is his chance to prove that as he enters his second year in Bradley’s system. Elite play on the field and accompanying mentorship could help lessen the weight of Rodgers’s absence.
The most important thing for fans to remember is that this will continue to be fluid. The coaching staff will continue to tweak the lineup based on production, matchups, and specific packages. Patience is needed and warranted.
Colts S Nick Cross enters a big Year 2.
One of the more confusing developments for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 was the lack of playing time for rookie third-round pick Nick Cross.
Despite the elite athleticism and the fact that he was making plays during training camp and the preseason, Cross wound up losing the starting safety role just three weeks into his rookie campaign.
While speaking with reporters Wednesday, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley detailed what kept the Maryland product from seeing the field.
“He is extremely talented, he is fast, he’s got the ability. Now it’s just playing fast on the field. That part we didn’t see in the beginning of the year. We felt like he was thinking a lot,” Bradley said of Cross.
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The physical tools certainly are there for Cross. He has the size and elite speed and explosiveness to be a strong starter in Bradley’s defense. But the processing and play speed aspects of his game were lacking.
It’s one thing to have elite physical traits at the NFL combine. It’s an entirely different story when it comes to effectively using those traits on the field. Everything happens so quickly on a football field that even the best athletes struggle if they’re thinking too much.
“The conversation was more about doing things right rather than just reacting and it slowed him down some. I think as the season went on, conversations towards the end, it was more like ‘I felt it. I know what that feels like now.’ Where you’re thinking too much and not playing as fast as maybe I did in college,” Bradley said. “So, if he can recognize that, own that and say now in the next year, let’s get back to playing fast.”
Cross was a young prospect entering the league. He’s still just 21 years old so there’s still hope he can bounce back from a disappointing rookie season.
But this will be a big year in terms of his development, especially now that he has a full season of working in Bradley’s defensive scheme.
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The Colts are likely to keep CB Kenny Moore II. Here’s what that means for the team.
When the 2021 season ended, Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II expected changes. Moore had one of his better seasons in a Colts uniform, earning his first Pro Bowl honors.
He approached the 2022 season with an edge, hoping to be compensated for his talent as one of the NFL’s best slot corners.
Despite his best efforts to stand firm during a self-imposed “hold-in,” the Colts didn’t budge, putting pressure on Moore to strengthen his case.
Unfortunately, his 2022 season was underwhelming. Injuries and sub-par play stifled his campaign for more recognition, making him a potential cap casualty during the early portion of the offseason.
However, Moore is now expected to remain with the team for the 2023 season. What does Moore staying with the franchise mean?
Here are five thoughts about what keeping Moore means for the Colts:
Gus Bradley is returning as the defensive coordinator for the Colts.
The Indianapolis Colts will be retaining Gus Bradley as defensive coordinator under new head coach Shane Steichen, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
While it wasn’t clear if Bradley would return, especially after special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone took a promotion with the Cleveland Browns, the Colts won’t see many changes to the defensive side of the ball.
Gus Bradley will remain with the #Colts as defensive coordinator for new head coach Shane Steichen, per sources. This has been the expectation league wide as teams filled jobs. Colts keep continuity on the defensive side of the ball.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) February 27, 2023
It’s not a surprise Bradley is returning considering the connection he has with Steichen from their days on the west coast.
Bradley was the defensive coordinator for the Los Angles Chargers for four seasons (2017-2020). At the same time, Steichen was the quarterbacks coach for three of those seasons (2017-2019) and the interim offensive coordinator (2020) following the firing of Ken Wisenhunt.
The Colts defense was a solid unit throughout the 2022 season despite not having All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard. They will need to add some depth to the defensive line and secondary, but the group was strong for the majority of the campaign.
You can keep up to date with the latest coaching hires through our tracker.
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