[PFF] How the Colts defense is thriving without elite talent

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https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-how-the-colts-defense-is-thriving-without-elite-caliber-talent

 

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How the Colts defense is thriving without elite talent

BY MICHAEL RENNER • DEC 20, 2018

 

 

Quick, can you name three starters on the Colts defense? If you can’t, well, that’s precisely the reason why I’m writing this article. The job Matt Eberflus has done with Indianapolis’ defense this season has largely flown under the radar because they’re still a fringe top-10 unit. But when compared to expectations, it can be argued that no unit in the entire NFL has outperformed expectations as much.  

 

The Colts are fresh off a shutout of the Cowboys this past week – one of only five shutouts in the NFL this season. While we can debate the merits of how impressive that is given Dallas’ offense this season, what is impressive is that the combined cap hit of the Colts’ starters in the game is over $15 million less than what the Cowboys pay their offensive line. At a shade over $25 million for the Colts’ defensive starters, they have nearly the same cap hit as Andrew Luck alone ($24.4 million). Yet, even with that mix of young players and castoffs, the Colts defense is eighth in the NFL in terms of points per drive at 1.84.

 

 

How have they done it? It’s been a combination of talent recognition by General Manager Chris Ballard and a masterclass in coordinating from Matt Eberflus. The former is obvious, in players like rookie second-round pick Darius Leonard, who’s currently the fifth-highest graded linebacker in the NFL and a strong possibility for rookie of the year. The latter isn’t quite as evident from a highlight reel.

 

One of the core tenets of a good coach is adjusting their scheme to the talent on the roster, and not forcing talent into their scheme. An objective look at the Colts’ roster would tell you that they should not have a good pass defense with their corners. Their number one corner, Pierre Desir, has already been waived by three NFL teams since being drafted in 2014. Opposite Desir is Kenny Moore II, who was an undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State last season and played all of 382 snaps as a rookie.

 

Instead of letting each take their lumps against top wideouts, Eberflus has eschewed man coverage altogether this season. Indianapolis has lined up in man coverage on just 13% of their passing snaps this season, the second-lowest percentage in the NFL. Instead, they’ve turned into the poster boys for the ‘bend but don’t break’ mantra. Opposing offenses are completing an absurd 71.0% of pass attempts against the Colts this year. Only the hapless defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been worse. All of this, though, is by design.

 

If you’re an opposing quarterback traveling to Lucas Oil Fieldhouse, chances are this is what you’ll see when you line up behind center.

 

 

This isn’t hyperbole. Nearly every single snap, the Colts come out with walked up corners and split safeties. And nearly every single snap either one of the two safeties roles down into spot drop cover-3 or both safeties retreat into cover-2. That’s it. They barely blitz (19% of the time, the third-lowest rate in NFL), and employ the same two coverages virtually the entire game. In the open field, 32% of the time they’re running cover-2 (second-most in the NFL) and 37% of the time it is cover-3. It’s either this:

 

 

Or this:

 

 

The big secret to the league’s most overachieving defense? They run arguably the simplest scheme in the NFL.

 

However, the simplicity only applies to the defensive side of the ball. With the static look, opposing quarterbacks can’t get any sort of presnap read on the defense and the route concepts that beat cover-3 don’t often overlap with the concepts that beat cover-2. It’s also a defense that can’t be ‘schemed’ into busted coverage. There are no complex rules about how to pass off crossing routes or how to alleviate the mass confusion that’s caused by presnap motion. Each defender drops to their spot and has the freedom to watch the quarterback’s eyes as well as the routes developing in front of them. They’re easy to define roles that the defenders have executed hundreds of times before.

 

The result is a defense that plays as fast as anyone in the league. Whether it’s reacting to checkdowns or breaking on routes, the defenders are allowed to play off instinct rather than rules. It’s why Darius Leonard is second among all linebackers with 22 coverage stops, and why Kenny Moore is fourth among all corners with 17. It’s why teams have only attempted 44 deep passes on them this season, the fewest in the NFL. With defensive coordinators losing sleep all over the league trying to keep up with everything modern offenses are throwing at them, Eberflus has shown that simplicity can be the best option.

 

 

 

 

[chad72]

The NFL is 16 games of 1-week seasons. The fact that Eberflus has adapted along the way to blitz and teach his defenders to play stout coverage and run defense is remarkable. 

 

Only a few elite QBs can throw those Cover 2 beaters consistently, 3 of which are still around in the AFC (have been around forever it seems like) - Brady, Big Ben and Rivers. IF we make the playoffs this year, we will have to beat 2 of them at least to get to the SB. 

 

It has been a fun ride so far, hoping for the best outcomes the next 2 weeks!!!  

[Steamboat_Shaun]

24 minutes ago, stitches said:

If you’re an opposing quarterback traveling to Lucas Oil Fieldhouse, chances are this is what you’ll see when you line up behind center.

 

He called it Lucas Oil Fieldhouse, WTH?

[stitches]

9 minutes ago, Steamboat_Shaun said:

 

He called it Lucas Oil Fieldhouse, WTH?

I say we give him a -2 on this play. What do you say? 

[Steamboat_Shaun]

12 minutes ago, stitches said:

I say we give him a -2 on this play. What do you say? 

 

He loves going to baseball games at Fenway Ball Yard.

[Creekside]

Moore, Desire, and Wilson are really getting it done.

 

 

[Lucky Colts Fan]

This is exactly what Ballard talked about doing before the season started:  Simplify everything and let the defense read-and-react so they can play fast. 

 

It works great on indoor turf where speed kills.  But I'm nervous about a cold-weather outdoor road-game against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or NE in the playoffs...  We've seen it before where a team just runs the ball, controls the clock, and doesn't give our offense a chance to do much.

 

Hopefully we can flip that script this year and run the ball behind BigQ, control the clock, and not give guys like Big Ben or Brady a chance to do anything. 

[Yoshinator]

This is pretty awesome! Love the simplicity by Eberflus. It limits mistakes and is easy to understand. This will give anyone we draft on defense a better chance of being a hit, IMO, as the playbook won't be an intimidating factor coming into the league.

 

PLEASE let us keep Eberflus until we win a SB! 

[Moosejawcolt]

Mayb we under value Hooker and the effect he is having  on the D?

[jameszeigler834]

No Geathers on sunday but looks like Mitchell will be back in his place so it helps that there will be a pretty good backup in his place.

[#12.]

Two different defenses: pre-Tennessee, post Tennessee.  

[Calmack]

Hooker deserves some praise. Not often you hear his name and that's a good thing usually. No deep passes getting through.

[BOTT]

6 hours ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

This is exactly what Ballard talked about doing before the season started:  Simplify everything and let the defense read-and-react so they can play fast. 

 

It works great on indoor turf where speed kills.  But I'm nervous about a cold-weather outdoor road-game against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or NE in the playoffs...  We've seen it before where a team just runs the ball, controls the clock, and doesn't give our offense a chance to do much.

 

Hopefully we can flip that script this year and run the ball behind BigQ, control the clock, and not give guys like Big Ben or Brady a chance to do anything. 

1 what's the difference between indoor turf and outside turf?

 

2 what happened to the manning era colts doesn't mean a thing.  Those teams were traditionally porous vs the run.

[Devildog]

21 hours ago, Steamboat_Shaun said:

 

He called it Lucas Oil Fieldhouse, WTH?

 

At least he didn't say Lucas Gas Station, lol.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

13 hours ago, BOTT said:

1 what's the difference between indoor turf and outside turf?

 

2 what happened to the manning era colts doesn't mean a thing.  Those teams were traditionally porous vs the run.

 

1.  Who said "outside turf"?  You mean grass?

 

2.  Colts fans are emotionally scarred and haunted by outdoor playoff games of the past.  I'm scared.  Leave me alone. 

[BOTT]

23 minutes ago, Lucky Colts Fan said:

 

1.  Who said "outside turf"?  You mean grass?

 

2.  Colts fans are emotionally scarred and haunted by outdoor playoff games of the past.  I'm scared.  Leave me alone. 

You said speed kills on indoor turf. Half the league plays on turf including open air venues like foxboro.

[HarryTheCat]

2 minutes ago, BOTT said:

You said speed kills on indoor turf. Half the league plays on turf including open air venues like foxboro.

Even when the turf is the same stuff, the cold, snow, rain, and wind in December (and hopefully, in January!) are harder to adjust to. Still, with Reich & Company dialling it all up, I like our chances. And yes, even in Foxboro in January. 

[The Fish]

Fully expect at least some push back, but Leonard is elite talent and that's a big part of why they're not a bottom feeder. Before long he's going to be considered as much of a game wrecker as Mack or Watt, if his progress holds. He's swatting balls away from elite receivers now.. 

Denico Autry is playing like an elite talent too, though it's just a nice stretch that's corresponding with the unit's success. 

Good post, but the title isn't.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

14 hours ago, BOTT said:

1 what's the difference between indoor turf and outside turf?

 

The weather

[r a y s k i]

How insanely weird that the simplest defense can take you so far. Best defense in the league since week 7 yet has the highest completion % against it. 

 

So does Eberflus literally just keep choosing between 4 plays all season like Madden?? 

[SteelCityColt]

Interesting read especially when at the same time so much praise is being given to the Rams for their exclusive use of 11 personel. Of course when the Bills tried this last season they got pitchforked for it 

[smittywerb]

19 hours ago, Moosejawcolt said:

Mayb we under value Hooker and the effect he is having  on the D?

 

 

Yup, which I didn't understand people who were downing him because he didn't have the flashy stats he had last year.  This defense either doesn't call for it or he doesn't allow it because of good play.  

[ColtStrong2013]

On 12/21/2018 at 12:57 PM, Lucky Colts Fan said:

This is exactly what Ballard talked about doing before the season started:  Simplify everything and let the defense read-and-react so they can play fast. 

 

It works great on indoor turf where speed kills.  But I'm nervous about a cold-weather outdoor road-game against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, or NE in the playoffs...  We've seen it before where a team just runs the ball, controls the clock, and doesn't give our offense a chance to do much.

 

Hopefully we can flip that script this year and run the ball behind BigQ, control the clock, and not give guys like Big Ben or Brady a chance to do anything. 

We stop the run better than we ever have... I would embrace that scenario to prove this is a different unit... especially right now. Get us in the playoffs with 2 more wins these last few weeks, and I would love to test this in NE. 

 

However, statstically, the indoor stadium roster build works in our favor. We will have 9 indoor turf games, minimum, every year with a road game against Houston and our home games. Odds are we have more like 10 or 11. That's just smart to be the best and fastest team in those conditions. As much as Pitt, NE, etc have an advantage at home, we will have one as well... Win 12-14 games, and you have that advantage. 

[BOTT]

4 hours ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

We stop the run better than we ever have... I would embrace that scenario to prove this is a different unit... especially right now. Get us in the playoffs with 2 more wins these last few weeks, and I would love to test this in NE. 

 

However, statstically, the indoor stadium roster build works in our favor. We will have 9 indoor turf games, minimum, every year with a road game against Houston and our home games. Odds are we have more like 10 or 11. That's just smart to be the best and fastest team in those conditions. As much as Pitt, NE, etc have an advantage at home, we will have one as well... Win 12-14 games, and you have that advantage. 

Meh....I don't think playing indoors really provides much of an advantage.  

[ColtStrong2013]

Just now, BOTT said:

Meh....I don't think playing indoors really provides much of an advantage.  

It's not necessarily the indoors as it is the turf field, dry consistent weather. It is an advantage for a team that wants to play fast on defense and spread teams out on offense. Absolutely. 

[BOTT]

1 hour ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

It's not necessarily the indoors as it is the turf field, dry consistent weather. It is an advantage for a team that wants to play fast on defense and spread teams out on offense. Absolutely. 

you just described the vast majority of teams in the NFL.

 

[ColtStrong2013]

33 minutes ago, BOTT said:

you just described the vast majority of teams in the NFL.

 

 

Many are, you are correct. The league is moving to fast paced, high scoring offenses and want speed on defense.

And those teams have an advantage at home in incliment weather how?

 

We have the advantage of playing a high paced, fast game that everyone is leaning towards indoors in perfect conditions 9 or 10 times every regular season. If it rains in Kansas City 5 of 8 home games, how is an indoor stadium for us not more of an advantage over KC's home field advantage? 

[BOTT]

6 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

 

Many are, you are correct. The league is moving to fast paced, high scoring offenses and want speed on defense.

And those teams have an advantage at home in incliment weather how?

 

We have the advantage of playing a high paced, fast game that everyone is leaning towards indoors in perfect conditions 9 or 10 times every regular season. If it rains in Kansas City 5 of 8 home games, how is an indoor stadium for us not more of an advantage over KC's home field advantage? 

Not sure why you are pretending I said outdoor teams have an advantage in incliment weather. I did not.