Tag: Gus Bradley

It sure doesn’t sound like Kris Richard is in the mix for Panthers’ DC job

This could change in a hurry, but Kris Richard isn’t reported among the candidates Panthers coach Frank Reich and owner David Tepper favor for defensive coordinator:

This could change in a hurry, but new Orleans Saints co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Kris Richard wasn’t among the candidates the Carolina Panthers are discussing for their open defensive coordinator job. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports that new Panthers head coach Frank Reich and owner David Tepper have differing opinions on who they should pursue for that vacancy, with Reich wanting to bring Gus Bradley with him from the Indianapolis Colts while Tepper likes Marquand Manuel.

Richard received an interview request for this job early in January, but that was before Carolina hired Reich. And he could still emerge as a candidate if neither of these guys are an option. Bradley is still under contract with the Colts and Manuel has been linked to the Houston Texans head coach favorite DeMeco Ryans. If the Panthers strike out there, Richard makes a lot of sense. He worked with Bradley on the Seattle Seahawks and has run similar systems in the past with the Dallas Cowboys.

So there’s still a chance Richard leaves New Orleans this offseason, even if it doesn’t seem very likely right now. He doesn’t call plays with the Saints (Dennis Allen has held onto that responsibility after being promoted to head coach) but he would get that opportunity in Carolina or on another staff around the league. It’s something to watch out for in the days ahead, but you have to hope the Saints don’t lose both of their co-defensive coordinators to division rivals after the Atlanta Falcons hired Ryan Nielsen.

[listicle id=121467]

Ranking our top 4 candidates for the Panthers’ DC job

Here are our top four candidates for the Panthers’ defensive coordinator job.

Now that the Carolina Panthers have landed their head coach in Frank Reich, it’s time to start scooping up his staff. And one of the biggest, if not the biggest hole sits at the defensive coordinator position.

So, let’s sort our top contenders before the Panthers, of course, ultimately do that for us.

Colts’ DeForest Buckner the ‘definition of a pro’

Colts DC Gus Bradley had high praise for DeForest Buckner.

The 2022 season hasn’t gone according to plan much at all for the Indianapolis Colts, but that hasn’t stopped defensive tackle DeForest Buckner from continuing his role as being a major leader in the locker room.

Despite the lost season, Buckner has been one of the most accountable players in the locker room. He carries himself as one of the biggest voices in the locker room even if he’s not the loudest.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley couldn’t be more impressed with Buckner now with having a full season of work with him.

“Spending time with him, he’s a huge pro, a man who gets the job done no matter how he feels inside. I think that’s kind of the definition of a pro. He does it in practice, he does it in meetings and in his play – and you’re right, he’s banged up,” Bradley told reporters Tuesday. “He’s got some injuries. He’s battling through that. So, he’s doing a great job leading our group both by actions and by words, and he’s playing at a high level for us.”

Buckner has been playing at an upper-tier level for the majority of the season. His 8.0 sacks are the third-most of his career and the second-most since joining the Colts in 2020. He also had 18 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss and is tied for the ninth-most total pressures (46) among interior defensive linemen, according to Pro Football Focus.

Even though Buckner already had the reputation of being a high-character player and strong leader both on and off the field, he exceeded Bradley’s expectations.

“You hear so many good things about him just as a man – what he stands for, his work ethic. But I think until you’re around him on a day in and day out basis where you see it’s consistent – there’s no up or down with the man. He comes to work, he’s a true pro regardless of the situation,” Bradley said. “I had a high feeling of what he was like, but I think he exceeded that just because of the day-to-day operation that he has.”

Buckner has been a major contributor since the Colts traded the No. 13 overall pick for him in 2020. There will be some major changes coming to the team during the upcoming offseason, but Buckner continues to prove he’s a vital part of the team’s success.

It may be a lost season, but Buckner has earned his role as a captain and continues to produce despite the hardships.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwdn1cy47y964q player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

Chargers’ causes for concern vs. Colts

Reasons why the Colts could upset the Chargers in Week 16.

The Chargers head to Indianapolis for their sixth primetime game of the season, this time with a chance to all but lock up an AFC playoff spot. Despite not being in contention, however, the Colts have plenty to play for.

Here are four reasons to be worried about a Monday Night dud from Los Angeles.

Trench temperature difference

After allowing just 12 sacks in the Chargers’ first nine games, the LA offensive line has given up 21 sacks of Justin Herbert in the last five contests. While that stat is a bit misleading because of Herbert’s ability to manage the pocket, which drove sack numbers lower than they should have been to begin the year, the point is the same: the offensive line is hitting a cold stretch. Indianapolis, meanwhile, is coming off a seven-sack performance last week against Minnesota, their most in a single game in four seasons. Conversely, Colts tackle Bernhard Raimann has stacked some nice weeks together, allowing just four sacks to the likes of Chandler Jones, Alex Highsmith, and DeMarcus Lawrence over his last five games. Khalil Mack, meanwhile, has not logged a sack since Week 10 against San Francisco. On both sides of the ball, the Colts have players on hot streaks in the trenches, while LA has a few looking to snap a cold streak. That’s not usually a great combination.

Cover 3 struggles

The Colts’ defensive coordinator is Gus Bradley, who you may remember as LA’s defensive coordinator from 2017-2020. During his tenure as a Chargers coach, Bradley loved to run Cover 3, a tendency that has continued at every stop in his coaching career. Sure enough, Indianapolis is a heavy Cover 3 team. This season, Justin Herbert’s EPA per play against Cover 3 is a poor -0.23. This makes sense for a few reasons, namely that Cover 3 is built to take away some of the deep throws over the middle that is open in Cover 2 since there’s an extra defender in the middle of the field. Some of the best ways to beat Cover 3 are to push the ball downfield consistently, forcing flat defenders to choose between carrying extra deep routes upfield or sticking to their man. The problem with this for LA is that they’re largely allergic to calling such plays, and even if they do, traditional dropback passing has not worked the last few weeks because of the offensive line struggles.

Kickoff returns

Since taking over for Isaiah Rodgers midway through Week 12, undrafted rookie Dallis Flowers has been one of the best kick returners in all of football. He’s averaging 34.1 yards per return, leading the league amongst players with at least ten return opportunities. Indianapolis also leads the league in points added on kick returns at 7.8, per Football Outsiders, partially thanks to Flowers, who has broken returns of 48, 49, and 89 yards. While the Chargers are 12th in kickoff defense DVOA, they’re 31st in kickoff return, and DeAndre Carter’s 19.1 yards per return is second worst in the league amongst players with 10+ returns. That discrepancy could lead to the Chargers losing the field position battle if Cameron Dicker can’t consistently force touchbacks.

Primetime close calls

So far, the Chargers are 2-3 in primetime, but all five games have ended in one-possession affairs. For the most part, that’s fairly standard: two three-point losses to Kansas City and a six-point loss to San Francisco are hard games to hold a grudge over. Those are Super Bowl contenders that LA hung tough with despite injuries piling up all over the roster. Wins over playoff teams like the Dolphins and Titans are also examples of what the Chargers look like on their best days. But what concerns me here is the overtime victory over the Broncos in Week 6. Like this Colts game, that game came on Monday Night Football. Like the Colts, the Broncos have an above-average defense and a horrible offense. Denver hit Justin Herbert 8 times and forced overtime, where the two teams seemed deadlocked until Ja’Sir Taylor made an incredible special teams play. Denver has the worst special teams in the league, Indianapolis 19th. Is that enough of a difference to prevent a similar mistake from them?

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 16 opponent: Colts

Here are some key things to know about the Los Angeles Chargers’ opponent ahead of the Week 16 matchup.

After winning their last two games, the Chargers meet with the Colts on Monday night as they look to stay hot and land a spot in the playoffs.

To get you prepped for the Week 16 bout, here are some key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

Change at quarterback

Indianapolis’ interim head coach Jeff Saturday announced that Nick Foles will be the starter over Matt Ryan. The decision to bench Ryan in favor of Foles came after the Colts found themselves as the victim of the biggest comeback in NFL history in their 39-33 loss to the Vikings in Week 15. In his 11-year career, Foles has thrown for 14,003 yards with 82 touchdowns to 43 interceptions and a completion percentage of 62.4.

Star running back out

Jonathan Taylor’s 2022 season is over. The Colts placed him on the injured reserve with an ankle injury. Taylor missed time throughout the year because of the issue and posted 861 yards, four touchdowns, and 28 catches for 143 yards in 11 games. This was trending nowhere near his 2021 campaign, which saw him amass a league-high 332 carries for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns. In Taylor’s absence, Indianapolis will likely lean on Deon Jackson and Zack Moss.

One-man show

Despite the change at quarterback, the Colts’ passing offense will likely still revolve around wide receiver Michael Pittman. Pittman is the team leader in receptions (86), targets (121) and receiving yards (815). Behind Pittman are Parris Campbell and rookie Alec Pierce, who each have 510 receiving yards.

Gus’ group

The Chargers will play a familiar face in former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who now serves in the same role after overseeing the Raiders’ defense two years prior. Statistically, the Colts rank 11th in defensive DVOA, 14th in passing defense DVOA and 13th in rushing defense DVOA. Bradley’s scheme is still heavily predicated on Cover 3, a coverage that has given Justin Herbert some problems.

Other notes

  • Defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are elite against the run, both with 36 run stops and in the top 15 among interior defensive linemen in run-stop percentage.
  • Edge defenders Yannick Ngakoue and Kwity Paye have 41 and 25 pressures, respectively. Ngakoue leads the team in sacks (12), while Paye is third with six.
  • The Colts offensive line is 26th in pass-blocking efficiency. They have allowed the third-most sacks (29).

3 candidates to be Colts’ interim HC after Frank Reich firing

Taking a look at three candidates to take over as Colts interim HC following Frank Reich’s firing.

Update: In a shocking move, the Colts named Jeff Saturday as the interim head coach Monday.

The Indianapolis Colts made a statement Monday by firing head coach Frank Reich after five and a half seasons.

Though Reich finished with a 40-33-1 record as head coach in the regular season, the team made the playoffs just twice during his tenure and the recent downward spiral of the team was the nail in the coffin.

While the Colts are likely to announce an interim head coach during their press conference Monday evening, here are three candidates the team could consider:

Colts’ keys to victory vs. Patriots in Week 9

Keys to victory for the Colts in Week 9 against the Patriots.

Coming off a heartbreaking loss at home to the Washington Commanders, the Indianapolis Colts will hit the road and head to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots.

In terms of playoff chances, this is a must-win for Frank Reich’s squad which has been underwhelming most of this season. The Colts fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady on Tuesday, leaving the offense entirely in Reich’s hands as he tries to turn things around.

This could be a step in the right direction as second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger prepares to make his first start on the road.

However, beating Bill Belichick and the Patriots is no easy task. Here are the keys to victory for the Colts come Sunday:

Colts’ keys to victory vs. Titans in Week 4

Here are the Colts’ keys to victory in Week 4 against the Titans.

Coming off a wild win, there is some optimism in the Circle City as the Indianapolis Colts prepare to host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Indy’s previous dominance in this division series has faded over the past three seasons, only winning one out of the last five games against Mike Vrabel’s squad.

This is sure to be a hard-hitting battle as both teams still believe they can turn their slow starts around and win the AFC South. If Frank Reich wants to get his team back on track, here are the keys to victory:

Colts defense still learning Gus Bradley’s scheme

The Colts defense is still learning Gus Bradley’s scheme as they host the Chiefs in Week 3.

The Indianapolis Colts defense has gotten off to a slow start early in the 2022 season, and part of that is due to the fact that the unit is still learning the nuances of Gus Bradley’s scheme.

Taking over as defensive coordinator this offseason, the Colts replaced Matt Eberflus with Bradley, hoping to continue their ways of grabbing turnovers at a high rate while seeing an increase in pass-rush consistency.

Neither have been at the forefront of the defensive effort, and head coach Frank Reich noted that the players are still learning the scheme going into the third week of the season. Even with that, Reich still expects them to play high-level football.

“There is no doubt they are still learning but no mistake about it, we’re far enough along that we should play winning football, right?” Reich said Friday.

It’s not totally uncommon for a new defensive scheme to take time to learn. Simply understanding the play calls and assignments isn’t all it takes. Simulating game action is nearly impossible, and the communication aspect of the scheme can only be sharpened with reps.

As the Colts continue to progress through the season, Reich believes the defense will catch up eventually.

“I do think as a defensive scheme it will continue to get better as the year goes on but there’s still that sense of urgency and demand to play winning football now, which we all expect that we’re at a spot that we can do,” Reich said. “We also expect that we’re going to keep getting better in the system.”

One of the biggest struggles of the defense thus far has been the lack of a pass rush. Only a handful of times during the first two games of the season has the pass rush made an impact.

Part of that is opposing offenses using the quick passing game to negate the pass rush, but Bradley still wants to see the unit overcome those hurdles as other teams do.

“Teams are doing a lot of quick game. I think in the first game and the second game combined, one of the quickest releases that has been in the league thus far with the quarterbacks. The ability to play tighter coverage and get the quarterback to hitch it some,” Bradley said this week.” I think we all think that tighter coverage means man and that is a good point, but you try to confuse the quarterback, make him hitch to where you have time for the rush to get there. Whether it’s tighter coverage through man, tighter coverage in zone where we recognize formations and we use the right techniques and then change up the looks.”

The Colts defense will have its hands full with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs offense, who come to town for the home opener Sunday. We’ll see if the unit can make any more strides in getting better as a group, especially when it comes to the pass rush.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwdn1cy47y964q player_id=none image=https://coltswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)

[lawrence-related id=75567,75562,75560]

[listicle id=75545]

Texans QB Davis Mills is mindful of winning turnover battle against the Colts

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills knows that winning the turnover battle is a big part of beating the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.

The Houston Texans were horrendous against the Indianapolis Colts last season.

The Colts scored 31 points in each of their two meetings. However, the Texans mustered three points in the Week 6 encounter and didn’t put a solitary point on the board in Week 13.

Part of the reason why the Colts dominated the Texans was because of the turnover battle. In the initial meeting, which rookie Davis Mills started at quarterback, the Colts were 3-0 in the turnover battle. In Week 13, which Tyrod Taylor started but Mills finished, it was a little more respectable, though Indianapolis still was ahead 2-1 in the turnover battle.

Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is coach of the Chicago Bears, but the philosophy is still the same under new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.

“When you look at Gus Bradley’s defense, the Colts in general, is their takeaways,” Mills told reporters Wednesday. “Last year, they were so huge on takeaways. Every guy is really punching at the ball or trying to make an attempt at the ball. I think Gus Bradley being able to be in that zone allows guys to do that, be able to have all eyes on the ball. They fly around and they’re a well-coached defense.”

Mills went 29-43 for 243 yards with two interceptions and took two sacks in his start against the Colts last year. In relief of Taylor, Mills went 6-14 for 49 yards and also took two sacks.

With Bradley coming over from the Las Vegas Raiders, where he spent last season as defensive coordinator, Mills knows he will still have the Colts playing at a high level on defense.

“Gus has been doing it at a high level as a defensive coordinator for so long, so, I’ve got a lot of respect for what he does on that side of the ball,” said Mills.

Houston hosts Indianapolis Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time for Week 1 at NRG Stadium.