Bradley's D

[Solid84]

I just wish Bradley would do more to help our guys out. Dumbing it down to high school defense just isn’t the answer. 
 

Blitz, disguise, use more more than two coverage types for crying out loud. 
 

I believe in adjusting to your players. Do what they do best. Bradley’s barely testing them, so how on earth do we know what they do best?

[Pat Curtis]

If the Colts do go in a different direction at DC I'll just assume we'll use the same basic 4 down lineman setup.  What I do not want to see is a complete overhaul to a Hybrid system which will take several drafts to acquire the body type for that defense.  I think we can all agree on that.

 

Pass rush, if not consistent from the front 4, needs to be manufactured by blitzes.  IMO we have Speed and Franklin who are both solid when they've come in on blitzes.  Moore II off the slot was Eberflus's go-to for a blind side sack.  I've only noticed him coming in a few times this season (not to mention last season Bradley grossly misused him).  I'd really like to see Nick Cross use that speed and athleticism and go after the QB a few times. 

[ShuteAt168]

On 12/25/2023 at 2:02 PM, Moosejawcolt said:

First, ask yourself this question. U put this front 4 on another team and would expect that defense to improve? Not a fan of the scheme or Bradley, however. I think the failure of this D has more to do with talent than scheme. We have on legit pass rusher, and that is our DT. The edge guys r average. This front 4 teases the fan base. They play  offense  that lacks balance and that has an inferior Oline and they look like studs. They play a good Oline with a balanced attack and they look mediocre at best. Don't beleive me? Go look back at the last few years

Look, it’s well documented that it takes an NFL GM 9-10 years to build a great defensive line. Patience, sir. 

[Superman]

11 hours ago, Zoltan said:

The Falcons saw what the Bengals were able to do and exploited it again. What bothers me is that Bradley sees this problem and doesn't adjust his play calling to it, which to me is him being stubborn. The most important stat for defenses at least for me is points allowed per game, and we are 5th worst with 24.8 points per game.

 

In comparison looking at the vikings and how they transformed a defense with a DC change over one offseason in 2022 they allowed 25.1 points allowed per game (30th), then after switching to Flores 19.9 points allowed per game (10th). Now I don't know of any great replacement like Flores this offseason but I think they have to explore moving on from Bradley.

 

When Steichen was hired and the decision was made to retain Bradley, I wondered if it was mostly about allowing Steichen to just build his offensive staff and evaluate the defense for a year. Steichen took the job more than a month after the season ended, the Combine was coming up, he's a first time HC, and we needed to draft a QB... it's a lot to figure out in just a couple weeks time. 

 

So I went into the season thinking that Bradley was probably on a probation year, and it would be up to Steichen to determine what to do in 2024. But I have no idea what Steichen would want to do.

 

And while I've never liked Bradley's defense and didn't like the hire, it hasn't been terrible. You mention the Vikings in 2022, we're not as bad as they were. But I appreciate that they moved on from their previous DC after just one year when they didn't like the results. 

[shasta519]

1 hour ago, Superman said:

 

When Steichen was hired and the decision was made to retain Bradley, I wondered if it was mostly about allowing Steichen to just build his offensive staff and evaluate the defense for a year. Steichen took the job more than a month after the season ended, the Combine was coming up, he's a first time HC, and we needed to draft a QB... it's a lot to figure out in just a couple weeks time. 

 

So I went into the season thinking that Bradley was probably on a probation year, and it would be up to Steichen to determine what to do in 2024. But I have no idea what Steichen would want to do.

 

And while I've never liked Bradley's defense and didn't like the hire, it hasn't been terrible. You mention the Vikings in 2022, we're not as bad as they were. But I appreciate that they moved on from their previous DC after just one year when they didn't like the results. 

 

I think Bradley is all but gone, unless they make the playoffs. Beyond the coaching staff, the defense has a lot of question marks this offseason.

 

1. Do they retain Kenny Moore? 

 

2. Do they retain Blackmon? 

 

3. Do they retain Grove? 

 

4. Do they extend DeFo? 

 

5. Do they continue to depend on Speed and Zaire at LB?

 

Lots of questions before even getting to the CB position. A new coaching staff would only add to it. But my guess is the defense will look very different in two years.

 

[Superman]

10 minutes ago, shasta519 said:

I think Bradley is all but gone, unless they make the playoffs. Beyond the coaching staff, the defense has a lot of question marks this offseason.

 

If the playoffs started today, we'd play the Dolphins. That might make it even more likely that Bradley would be gone. But I don't know. There's enough there statistically to make a case for keeping Bradley, even though I fully believe his defense doesn't work.

 

10 minutes ago, shasta519 said:

Lots of questions before even getting to the CB position. A new coaching staff would only add to it. But my guess is the defense will look very different in two years.

 

Agreed. No matter what, I expect we'll be a four down, heavy zone defense, so I'm not super worried about CB. But LB is thin, and we have some contract decisions to make with several players, like you mentioned.

[Zoltan]

6 hours ago, Superman said:

 

When Steichen was hired and the decision was made to retain Bradley, I wondered if it was mostly about allowing Steichen to just build his offensive staff and evaluate the defense for a year. Steichen took the job more than a month after the season ended, the Combine was coming up, he's a first time HC, and we needed to draft a QB... it's a lot to figure out in just a couple weeks time. 

 

So I went into the season thinking that Bradley was probably on a probation year, and it would be up to Steichen to determine what to do in 2024. But I have no idea what Steichen would want to do.

 

And while I've never liked Bradley's defense and didn't like the hire, it hasn't been terrible. You mention the Vikings in 2022, we're not as bad as they were. But I appreciate that they moved on from their previous DC after just one year when they didn't like the results. 

 

Yeah, I was curious if it was gonna be trial period in the same mindset when Ballard had Pagano his first year, it being late for a HC hire also is a good point because assistant coaches were being hired elsewhere and it probably didn't help J. Gannon was also hired as a HC and I'm sure their assistant coach hires had some overlapping names. 

 

As for Bradley's system, I do believe it does work and we have seen it work for us. I just think it's to rigid of a system, where one person can't make a mistake and that Bradley thinks he can switch out players and not adjust it. Where we have seen someone get hurt and the opposing team just picks on the replacement and the defense does nothing to adjust. Ironically I think Bradley is the opposite of Steichen, where Steichen has said he builds his offense for the strengths of the talent he has, Bradley is I have a system and the player has to play within the rules of my system. 

 

The vikings comparison was more to show how a DC can make a huge difference going from one of the worst defenses to being right at the top 10, because I do believe we have a more talented defense than the vikings and what some give us credit for. I wish we could find a DC with the same mindset of James Bettcher but with the 4-3 instead of his 3-4, when he was with the Cardinals with Bruce Arians. He is a very creative DC and had some exotic formations but when asked about it in an interview, he basically said I want to get our best players on the field and use them to their strengths which I am a big fan of that philosophy.

[Superman]

15 hours ago, Zoltan said:

As for Bradley's system, I do believe it does work and we have seen it work for us. I just think it's to rigid of a system, where one person can't make a mistake and that Bradley thinks he can switch out players and not adjust it. Where we have seen someone get hurt and the opposing team just picks on the replacement and the defense does nothing to adjust. Ironically I think Bradley is the opposite of Steichen, where Steichen has said he builds his offense for the strengths of the talent he has, Bradley is I have a system and the player has to play within the rules of my system. 

 

That's fair. It's not the foundation of the defense that I dislike. Like you said, it's the overall rigidity and lack of variety that I think will limit its effectiveness. And against really good QBs and offenses, it really doesn't stand a chance; the hope is that they'll make a mistake in the red zone.

 

Bradley showed real flexibility against the Ravens, using an opponent specific gameplan. If he had a similar approach week to week, I'd be fine with him.

 

Quote

The vikings comparison was more to show how a DC can make a huge difference going from one of the worst defenses to being right at the top 10, because I do believe we have a more talented defense than the vikings and what some give us credit for. I wish we could find a DC with the same mindset of James Bettcher but with the 4-3 instead of his 3-4, when he was with the Cardinals with Bruce Arians. He is a very creative DC and had some exotic formations but when asked about it in an interview, he basically said I want to get our best players on the field and use them to their strengths which I am a big fan of that philosophy.

 

Bettcher can run a 4-3, his defense has a variety of principles. I think he just kept what Todd Bowles had established. I wouldn't mind him being on the list of potential DCs.

 

You make a good point about the Vikings defense. I'm not super familiar with all their young players so I don't want to compare the quality of the roster, but it's not like they have a bunch of household names making huge plays every week. What Flores has done shows that scheme can improve the quality of a defense even if the roster still needs work.

[OLD FAN MAN]

On 12/27/2023 at 11:51 AM, ShuteAt168 said:

Look, it’s well documented that it takes an NFL GM 9-10 years to build a great defensive line. Patience, sir. 

strange since the average playing career of an nfl d lineman is 3.24 years, dont believe me google it

[IndySouthsider]

Carolina is not playing to win today. They are just f’ing around.

[chad72]

Bradley is a big reason we’re not leading the division now. That 3 game skid giving up 34, 39 and 38 to Jags, Browns and Saints cost us long term. We played well enough offensively in at least the 2 home games vs Browns and Saints, good enough to win, IMO

[IndySouthsider]

2 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Bradley is a big reason we’re not leading the division now. That 3 game skid giving up 34, 39 and 38 to Jags, Browns and Saints cost us long term. We played well enough offensively in at least the 2 home games vs Browns and Saints, good enough to win, IMO

To be fair. Colts won that Browns game. Just like Detroit last nite. NFL has a problem

[GoColts8818]

29 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Bradley is a big reason we’re not leading the division now. That 3 game skid giving up 34, 39 and 38 to Jags, Browns and Saints cost us long term. We played well enough offensively in at least the 2 home games vs Browns and Saints, good enough to win, IMO

I mean they did win the Browns game but the officials decided otherwise…

[Superman]

5 hours ago, chad72 said:

Bradley is a big reason we’re not leading the division now. That 3 game skid giving up 34, 39 and 38 to Jags, Browns and Saints cost us long term. We played well enough offensively in at least the 2 home games vs Browns and Saints, good enough to win, IMO

 

I don't blame Bradley for the Browns game, and it's not about the refs. The Browns scored a defensive TD, blocked a kick, and scored plenty of points on short fields.

 

The way that game went was very strange. The Browns defense is really good, and was hot at the time, and they made a ton of plays. Still, we had a season high 456 yards, season high 38 points, we threw it well and ran it well. But the turnovers and little mistakes were killers.

 

That's the last team we played that I felt was legit better than the Colts, and we almost won, despite all those mistakes.

[Rolltide_gocolts]

His defensive scheme is dated and died when the LOB was dismantled… clearly both our young corners are better when they can be physical… 

[GoColts8818]

Take this as you will.

 

 

[Old Colt]

On 12/31/2023 at 4:06 PM, chad72 said:

Bradley is a big reason we’re not leading the division now. That 3 game skid giving up 34, 39 and 38 to Jags, Browns and Saints cost us long term. We played well enough offensively in at least the 2 home games vs Browns and Saints, good enough to win, IMO

If Bradley plays the same defensive philosophy, Houston will kill this team, his Bend and then Break defense is terrible....

[Solid84]

9 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

Take this as you will.

 

 

I don't get the "specialized numbers" part here. We're 26th in points allowed after the Raiders game, how's that not front and center?

[Pat Curtis]

3 hours ago, Solid84 said:

I don't get the "specialized numbers" part here. We're 26th in points allowed after the Raiders game, how's that not front and center?

 

"Splash plays".  It makes (some) people forget how bad the defense has been overall.

[MikChiken]

Would Ron Rivera be a realistic option if we moved on from Bradley? I’m camp move on, but I doubt they do 

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 minutes ago, MikChiken said:

Would Ron Rivera be a realistic option if we moved on from Bradley? I’m camp move on, but I doubt they do 

If Pierce doesn't get the Raiders job, I think he would be a great D Coordinator. 

[RollerColt]

12 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

If Pierce doesn't get the Raiders job, I think he would be a great D Coordinator. 

This. A thousand times this. He's the exact one I want. And I think the Raiders are just crazy enough to make the same mistake twice and let him walk. 

[Dingus McGirt]

14 minutes ago, MikChiken said:

Would Ron Rivera be a realistic option if we moved on from Bradley? I’m camp move on, but I doubt they do 

No recycles, please.  Go young, go creative.

 

Just now, RollerColt said:

This. A thousand times this. He's the exact one I want. And I think the Raiders are just crazy enough to make the same mistake twice and let him walk. 

If so, he needs to ditch those diamond earrings.  He’s a coach now, not a “player.”

[RollerColt]

16 minutes ago, MikChiken said:

Would Ron Rivera be a realistic option if we moved on from Bradley? I’m camp move on, but I doubt they do 

Realistic? Yes. He's going to be available for sure and I doubt he's going to be considered for a head coaching position. 

 

That said, I'd rather have someone that lines up well with Steichen. The old school coordinators are currently getting schooled by younger minds. 

[Patrick Miller]

I think that if we lose Saturday if will probably fall squarely on Bradley’s head/ defensive plan. Imo we should play more man and be more aggressive.

[richard pallo]

43 minutes ago, Patrick Miller said:

I think that if we lose Saturday if will probably fall squarely on Bradley’s head/ defensive plan. Imo we should play more man and be more aggressive.

What if we have trouble scoring and moving the ball?  Offense has to step up as well.  

[John Hammonds]

5 hours ago, Patrick Miller said:

I think that if we lose Saturday if will probably fall squarely on Bradley’s head/ defensive plan. Imo we should play more man and be more aggressive.

If Gus is gonna be judged this offseason on whether or not he is fit to continue as DC, I doubt it's gonna come down to a single game's performance.  What's against him is the standard measureables.  27th in points against.  24th in total yards.  27th rushing.  17th passing.  The poor 3rd down conversions.  Also, the quirky DL formations that left a huge gap in the middle for the offense to exploit.  What's in his favor is that he's 5th in sacks without a premier pass rusher.  He's had to patch together a defensive backfield made of rookies and special teams players that weren't supposed to start.  His big-play linebacker stopped being one.  After the disastrous Saints game, he was willing to scrap his base defense for different (and better) structures and styles.  He's probably done as well as he could have with the roster he had to work with.

I don't know if they keep Gus or not.  It probably depends wholly on if there's a bona fide better guy out there.  I will say if they keep him, his defense is gonna have to perform a whole lot better next year.  North of 16th in every category.  And he'll probably had a long sit-down with Steichen and Ballard on whether or not he's gonna go all-in on the modern Fangio cover-6 defense.

[Defjamz26]

4 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

If Gus is gonna be judged this offseason on whether or not he is fit to continue as DC, I doubt it's gonna come down to a single game's performance.  What's against him is the standard measureables.  27th in points against.  24th in total yards.  27th rushing.  17th passing.  The poor 3rd down conversions.  Also, the quirky DL formations that left a huge gap in the middle for the offense to exploit.  What's in his favor is that he's 5th in sacks without a premier pass rusher.  He's had to patch together a defensive backfield made of rookies and special teams players that weren't supposed to start.  His big-play linebacker stopped being one.  After the disastrous Saints game, he was willing to scrap his base defense for different (and better) structures and styles.  He's probably done as well as he could have with the roster he had to work with.

I don't know if they keep Gus or not.  It probably depends wholly on if there's a bona fide better guy out there.  I will say if they keep him, his defense is gonna have to perform a whole lot better next year.  North of 16th in every category.  And he'll probably had a long sit-down with Steichen and Ballard on whether or not he's gonna go all-in on the modern Fangio cover-6 defense.

I agree that it won’t come down to one game. They will look at the season as a whole. Something else that will factor in is that Shane didn’t get to pick his own DC. I’m sure he said he was fine with Bradley during the interview process, but I don’t think he’s tied to him. In terms of there being a better guy out there; you never know until you try. Personally I like Joe Whitt Jr. from Dallas. Secondary/Defensive Passing game coordinator. He’s turned Daron Bland into a standout player and obviously helped Diggs get a massive contract. Also saved Malik Hookers career. Also gets good play out of his secondary in general.

[Zoltan]

A question I’ll post for the group:

 

Is our success with sacks because of Bradley and his scheme or are we getting sacks because our players are finding success despite Bradley?

[OLD FAN MAN]

16 minutes ago, Zoltan said:

A question I’ll post for the group:

 

Is our success with sacks because of Bradley and his scheme or are we getting sacks because our players are finding success despite Bradley?

our total number of sacks is great but we are not getting enough pressure on third and long does our scheme change on third and long that allows the qb more time to throw ? i hope gus can figure it out in our next game. if we can pressure stroud on third and long he may make rookie mistakes even as good as he is.

[ChuggaBeer]

1 hour ago, Zoltan said:

A question I’ll post for the group:

 

Is our success with sacks because of Bradley and his scheme or are we getting sacks because our players are finding success despite Bradley?

Bradley has a track record the secondary covering tight to get the front 4 to get sacks    He has rookies performing well in the secondary,  It will come 

 

Draft that top corner this yr and see what happens.  Give him another year to secure the foundation he is building. Noone likes a rebuild.

 

That D has won us a few games this year 

 

Get Bradley some top talent and see where it goes.  

 

Draft.  yea yea. WR.  then should be all defense.    But I'd put D at top priority.     Cant say what positions right now probably WIL LB  but will need to investigate more    But the O is pretty good, we score a lot of points with a back up QB.

 

Lets build the D 

[richard pallo]

10 hours ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

our total number of sacks is great but we are not getting enough pressure on third and long does our scheme change on third and long that allows the qb more time to throw ? i hope gus can figure it out in our next game. if we can pressure stroud on third and long he may make rookie mistakes even as good as he is.

I agree.  I would also try keeping the zone coverages the same whether it’s 2nd and long or 3rd and long.  What I’m saying is don’t give the extra cushion on 3rd and long.  Especially against Stroud.  Rookie quarterbacks have trouble reading zone coverage.  Don’t give him more cushion.  I think that makes his job easier.  Keep it the same.  Make him read it and make the tighter throws.  

[richard pallo]

9 hours ago, ChuggaBeer said:

Bradley has a track record the secondary covering tight to get the front 4 to get sacks    He has rookies performing well in the secondary,  It will come 

 

Draft that top corner this yr and see what happens.  Give him another year to secure the foundation he is building. Noone likes a rebuild.

 

That D has won us a few games this year 

 

Get Bradley some top talent and see where it goes.  

 

Draft.  yea yea. WR.  then should be all defense.    But I'd put D at top priority.     Cant say what positions right now probably WIL LB  but will need to investigate more    But the O is pretty good, we score a lot of points with a back up QB.

 

Lets build the D 

I agree.  The secondary is loaded with rookies playing a lot.  And they are not high draft picks.  They are learning on the fly.  A few more quality additions on the defensive side and  I think we will have a very good defense.  I think Gus knows what he’s doing.  With Leonard and Gilmore gone we no longer have a difference maker in the secondary.  Hopefully one of our players develop or we go and get one.  Talent and experience matters.  If we have a good locker room and the players play hard for him I have a hard time seeing Steichen making a change.  Especially after the success the team has achieved this year.

[ChuggaBeer]

On the NFL ticker.    

 

Colts are the only team in the NFL with 4 players having at least 7 sacks each

 

 

 

 

[1959Colts]

 

[Boondoggle]

Players haha.  They have all sorts of motivations in their votes, not all of which are going to be on who actually puts the best defenses on the field.

 

Also re: Gus and "specialized numbers" if you look hard enough at any stats you can find what you want to arrive at a desired destination.  But if you keep it simple there are going to be upgrades on the market very soon.  So if Gus wants to keep this job the best way to do that is to keep his team in it as long as possible.

 

If they're eliminated this weekend he should be replaced.  Because they'll be in on the ground floor from Black Monday on with plenty of good options.  For the better DCs you can bet your behind that pairing with Steichen is extremely desirable.

[masterlock]

On 12/10/2023 at 11:08 PM, Smonroe said:

I agree.  But it’s also a matter of personnel.  Our CBs aren’t very good, except for Kenny.  At least, they’re not good enough to be trusted in a more aggressive D.

 

It is very frustrating.   

The net effect of having bad corners is that they allow completions. But the current scheme does that all on its own, so what's there to lose by playing man coverage?

[richard pallo]

3 minutes ago, masterlock said:

The net effect of having bad corners is that they allow completions. But the current scheme does that all on its own, so what's there to lose by playing man coverage?

More completions with a better chance for touchdowns.  Zone done properly reduces big plays. 

[Colts1324]

On 1/4/2024 at 10:23 AM, richard pallo said:

I agree.  The secondary is loaded with rookies playing a lot.  And they are not high draft picks.  They are learning on the fly.  A few more quality additions on the defensive side and  I think we will have a very good defense.  I think Gus knows what he’s doing.  With Leonard and Gilmore gone we no longer have a difference maker in the secondary.  Hopefully one of our players develop or we go and get one.  Talent and experience matters.  If we have a good locker room and the players play hard for him I have a hard time seeing Steichen making a change.  Especially after the success the team has achieved this year.

He does aggravate the heck out of me. But, I will say. We started blitzing more game. About every time we did, they hit the open receiver. 
 

 

However, I think having Brents back & now Kenny, we might be able to mix things up this week. Brents is coming along nice 

[richard pallo]

36 minutes ago, Colts1324 said:

He does aggravate the heck out of me. But, I will say. We started blitzing more game. About every time we did, they hit the open receiver. 
 

 

However, I think having Brents back & now Kenny, we might be able to mix things up this week. Brents is coming along nice 

We did blitz more but I noticed we started it 3 or 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage.  By the time we got close the ball was gone.  Easier to adjust to if you ask me.  We’ll see what happens tomorrow.