Is the Defense Pathetically Bad?

[Smonroe]

Okay, right off the bat, I Know Points is the most important thing.   And I know the Offense is doing them no favors.  Bears had 10 more minutes of possession.  

 

But giving up 9 of 21 third downs and 4 out of 5 4th downs is totally on the D.  Super soft coverage when it’s a long 2nd down always allows them to make third down manageable.

 

I’m not one calling for Gus to be fired, but I am so over his style.  I’ll add blame to Ballard for not giving Gus the players to change his style.   But d… man, press the receivers!  Don’t let them get off the line so easily.  
 

This style will (barely) work against inexperienced QBs.  Not against the good ones.  We’ve been saying this for years, even when Flus was here.  When are they going to wake up and admit it’s an archaic defense?   Okay, rant over.  

[RollerColt]

2 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

Okay, right off the bat, I Know Points is the most important thing.   And I know the Offense is doing them no favors.  Bears had 10 more minutes of possession.  

 

But giving up 9 of 21 third downs and 4 out of 5 4th downs is totally on the D.  Super soft coverage when it’s a long 2nd down always allows them to make third down manageable.

 

I’m not one calling for Gus to be fired, but I am so over his style.  I’ll add blame to Ballard for not giving Gus the players to change his style.   But d… man, press the receivers!  Don’t let them get off the line so easily.  
 

This style will (barely) work against inexperienced QBs.  Not against the good ones.  We’ve been saying this for years, even when Flus was here.  When are they going to wake up and admit it’s an archaic defense?   Okay, rant over.  

Well... 

 

The only way his style goes away is if both he and Ballard go away... 

[NewColtsFan]

27 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

Okay, right off the bat, I Know Points is the most important thing.   And I know the Offense is doing them no favors.  Bears had 10 more minutes of possession.  

 

But giving up 9 of 21 third downs and 4 out of 5 4th downs is totally on the D.  Super soft coverage when it’s a long 2nd down always allows them to make third down manageable.

 

I’m not one calling for Gus to be fired, but I am so over his style.  I’ll add blame to Ballard for not giving Gus the players to change his style.   But d… man, press the receivers!  Don’t let them get off the line so easily.  
 

This style will (barely) work against inexperienced QBs.  Not against the good ones.  We’ve been saying this for years, even when Flus was here.  When are they going to wake up and admit it’s an archaic defense?   Okay, rant over.  

Pathetically bad?   No.  Not yet. 
 

But they need to be much better this coming week against Pittsburgh.  Justin Fields is better than Caleb Williams. 
 

[ADnum1]

47 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

Okay, right off the bat, I Know Points is the most important thing.   And I know the Offense is doing them no favors.  Bears had 10 more minutes of possession.  

 

But giving up 9 of 21 third downs and 4 out of 5 4th downs is totally on the D.  Super soft coverage when it’s a long 2nd down always allows them to make third down manageable.

 

I’m not one calling for Gus to be fired, but I am so over his style.  I’ll add blame to Ballard for not giving Gus the players to change his style.   But d… man, press the receivers!  Don’t let them get off the line so easily.  
 

This style will (barely) work against inexperienced QBs.  Not against the good ones.  We’ve been saying this for years, even when Flus was here.  When are they going to wake up and admit it’s an archaic defense?   Okay, rant over.  

Your first sentence is correct.

 

The defense has been decent not great.  Giving up 16 points a game for 2 games straight is pretty good.  The last TD in the bears game was pretty much in garbage time.

 

The defense is not the problem with this team giving up only 16 points a game.  

 

The offense is the problem in that drives cannot be sustained with the passing game.  Without JT this team would be 0-3 because he is the only spark on offense right now.

 

TOP is critical as well as the defense is being tired out.

[Hark]

I am no fan of Gus Bradley. I was on this forum last season openly wondering if he would survive the bye week. As you said @Smonroe, his super soft scheme just isn't going to get this team over the top against good QBs.

 

The last two games the Colts have played teams with suspect QBs, so I suspect they have been more than happy to play a grind it out, run the football, low-scoring type game. I just don't understand what has happened to Speed and Franklin. Overall the defense is better against the pass, but our LBs have disappeared vs the run.

[Smonroe]

3 minutes ago, ADnum1 said:

Your first sentence is correct.

 

The defense has been decent not great.  Giving up 16 points a game for 2 games straight is pretty good.  The last TD in the bears game was pretty much in garbage time.

 

The defense is not the problem with this team giving up only 16 points a game.  

 

The offense is the problem in that drives cannot be sustained with the passing game.  Without JT this team would be 0-3 because he is the only spark on offense right now.

 

TOP is critical as well as the defense is being tired out.

Agreed, I said the offense is doing them no favors.  But the defense is a big problem letting their offense sustain drives.  The numbers don’t lie.

 

My biggest complaint is when they sack or a penalty forces a team into 2nd and long, the D immediately goes into a soft prevent zone, laying off the receivers.  Then it’s an easy pitch and catch, making it 3rd and manageable.  
 

It’s the old “when you have them down, keep them down” attitude we’re missing.  
 

And, yes @NewColtsFan, it’s pathetically bad when your defense is in the bottom four or five of the league.   ….but I like our guys…
 

 

[Dingus McGirt]

If i read the box score correctly - Chicago ran 84 plays to the Colts running 54.  Jeez-Louise.

[richard pallo]

No.  Pathetically bad. No.  It’s a bend and don’t break defense.  Don’t give up points.  That’s the name of the game.  Score points.  Don’t give up points.  They have done their job with a young group of players especially in the secondary.  Getting dominated week after week in time of possession will take its toll on any defense.  So I don’t consider them pathetically bad.  The real problem is the offense can’t stay on the field.  3 out of 12 third down conversions is not good enough.  Getting to 50% conversions would really help.  Unfortunately they are not currently doing their part.

[Indyfan4life]

Williams over the first three weeks:

 

14/29 - 93 yards - 0 TD - 0 INT - 2 sacks

23/37 - 174 yards - 0 TD - 2 INT - 7 sacks 

33/52 - 363 yards - 2 TD - 2 INT - 4 sacks 

 

Jones made incredible plays on those interceptions, so credit to him. But without those incredible plays, Williams numbers would be A LOT better. This secondary STINKS. 

[Superman]

It has been at times. I think the defense is flawed in a lot of ways, and its ability is capped by scheme and personnel. But I think there's potential for significant improvement. The run defense made some corrections this week. The pass defense will depend heavily on the pass rush, which has been better so far this season than it was at any point last year. 

[bestQBever]

The defense is not great but the stats are misleading. Our time of possession is absolutely atrocious. If our offense could just get more first downs and hold the ball, the defense would look like the 15th best defense and not the worst.

[Smonroe]

25 minutes ago, richard pallo said:

No.  Pathetically bad. No.  It’s a bend and don’t break defense.  Don’t give up points.  That’s the name of the game.  Score points.  Don’t give up points.  They have done their job with a young group of players especially in the secondary.  Getting dominated week after week in time of possession will take its toll on any defense.  So I don’t consider them pathetically bad.  The real problem is the offense can’t stay on the field.  3 out of 12 third down conversions is not good enough.  Getting to 50% conversions would really help.  Unfortunately they are not currently doing their part.

Ageed, the offense needs to do their part.  Keep the D fresher, let them play with the lead.  All true.  But that’s not happening yet.

 

Numbers don’t lie.  9 times out of 21 on third down they let the Bears extend drives.  4 times out of 5 on fourth down.   
 

Thats my definition of ‘pathetic’, you can chose your own adjective.  

[JediXMan]

Is it a good defense no but currently it’s 15th is PPG. Also surprisingly not even last in rushing Defense Cowboys are last. 

[KB]

I'll say that I'm happy the secondary made plays yesterday. The tip drill between Cross and Jones was very encouraging to see. There was growth shown in this game. 

[richard pallo]

6 minutes ago, KB said:

I'll say that I'm happy the secondary made plays yesterday. The tip drill between Cross and Jones was very encouraging to see. There was growth shown in this game. 

I think Jones is going to be a good player.  He showed his playmaking ability.  I’m very encouraged as well.

[richard pallo]

48 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

Ageed, the offense needs to do their part.  Keep the D fresher, let them play with the lead.  All true.  But that’s not happening yet.

 

Numbers don’t lie.  9 times out of 21 on third down they let the Bears extend drives.  4 times out of 5 on fourth down.   
 

Thats my definition of ‘pathetic’, you can chose your own adjective.  

And that’s what happens when the offense fails at their job.

[jemack]

I may be wrong but from what I saw in the 1st 2 games was more of a "read and react" style. The problem is, delayed reading can delay the reaction. The Dolphins tried this yrs ago with mixed results. They fired their DC.

The 3rd game looked more like an attack style which for the most was a better fit.

Feel free to call me out, now. 😂

[Solid84]

I don't think this defense will ever be better than Gus Bradley as long as he is here. He is the weakest link.

 

Looking past two weeks of terrible run defense, we're still terrible on 3rd and long. Like it's almost a given we give that away at this point. Then how about going prevent defense with a full quarter remaining on the clock?! OR, playing 5 yards off their receivers when they are on the 5 yard line?!

 

There are so many issues with Bradley's playcalling. He REALLY needs to go after this season.

[John Hammonds]

I think the corners are thin, the linebackers are overrated, the scheme is antiquated, and the play calling questionable.  However, this defense isn't as bad as it can possibly get.  I've seen worse.

[compuls1v3]

2 hours ago, richard pallo said:

I think Jones is going to be a good player.  He showed his playmaking ability.  I’m very encouraged as well.

If they let Jones play a little more aggressive, I think he has the skills to be good.

[Moosejawcolt]

4 hours ago, ADnum1 said:

Your first sentence is correct.

 

The defense has been decent not great.  Giving up 16 points a game for 2 games straight is pretty good.  The last TD in the bears game was pretty much in garbage time.

 

The defense is not the problem with this team giving up only 16 points a game.  

 

The offense is the problem in that drives cannot be sustained with the passing game.  Without JT this team would be 0-3 because he is the only spark on offense right now.

 

TOP is critical as well as the defense is being tired out.

The defense has been bad. Green Bay ran at will and was totally fine with this approach and it worked. I have no doubt that if Willis was forced to throw, he would have put up very good numbers. No one is testing the secondary as they are running the ball. Chicago probably has the worse offensive line and/or running game in the NFL. Stopping the run as they did, is not a reason to celebrate. The Colts D will do serviceable when they play teams that are one dimensional. As i have stated over the years. Every time they play a balanced team, they look like trash.

[coltsfan_canada]

4 hours ago, Indyfan4life said:

Williams over the first three weeks:

 

14/29 - 93 yards - 0 TD - 0 INT - 2 sacks

23/37 - 174 yards - 0 TD - 2 INT - 7 sacks 

33/52 - 363 yards - 2 TD - 2 INT - 4 sacks 

 

Jones made incredible plays on those interceptions, so credit to him. But without those incredible plays, Williams numbers would be A LOT better. This secondary STINKS. 

 

 

What an INT by Jones a beauty... staying inbound and tipping it to himself wow... Hopefully he stays hot. 

[NewColtsFan]

1 hour ago, Moosejawcolt said:

The defense has been bad. Green Bay ran at will and was totally fine with this approach and it worked. I have no doubt that if Willis was forced to throw, he would have put up very good numbers. No one is testing the secondary as they are running the ball. Chicago probably has the worse offensive line and/or running game in the NFL. Stopping the run as they did, is not a reason to celebrate. The Colts D will do serviceable when they play teams that are one dimensional. As i have stated over the years. Every time they play a balanced team, they look like trash.

Huh?   
 

“No one is testing the secondary, they are running ball.”    

 

That was true the first two weeks, but Williams just threw over 50 passes and the Bears ran about just 20 times.    Did you miss that?   
 

[ColtStrong2013]

We are 5th worst in 3rd down conversion rate on defense at 50%. The worst news is that the Steelers are #1 at 22%. That doesn’t bode well for us next Sunday. 

[IinD]

Without getting into the long version of it. 

 

They absolutely have to find a freaking way to stop some 3rd downs. It's scary how bad they are at it. 

 

Whether it's 3rd and 2 or 15 it's not a problem for opposing teams.

[AwesomeAustin]

This defense needs a true #1 corner, play making LB and a DE that wreaks havoc. We may have the DE but that’s about it.  Beyond Buckner, just a bunch of average to good players.  This personnel can work in a great scheme but I don’t think this one is it. 

[CardiacColts]

7 hours ago, Dingus McGirt said:

If i read the box score correctly - Chicago ran 84 plays to the Colts running 54.  Jeez-Louise.

My count had it as 90 to 56 plays run. The possession is the first thing we need to fix. Fortunately for us, if Shane cleans up the playcalling, we just so happen to have the RB we need to start strategically tilting this balance. 

[jbaron04]

9 hours ago, Smonroe said:

Okay, right off the bat, I Know Points is the most important thing.   And I know the Offense is doing them no favors.  Bears had 10 more minutes of possession.  

 

But giving up 9 of 21 third downs and 4 out of 5 4th downs is totally on the D.  Super soft coverage when it’s a long 2nd down always allows them to make third down manageable.

 

I’m not one calling for Gus to be fired, but I am so over his style.  I’ll add blame to Ballard for not giving Gus the players to change his style.   But d… man, press the receivers!  Don’t let them get off the line so easily.  
 

This style will (barely) work against inexperienced QBs.  Not against the good ones.  We’ve been saying this for years, even when Flus was here.  When are they going to wake up and admit it’s an archaic defense?   Okay, rant over.  

To be fair offense can’t sustain drives and turn the ball over a lot 

[Defjamz26]

I don’t think the run defense will continue to be as bad as it has been. However, I do think the pass D is worse than it has appeared so far. First two games the run defense was so bad that it covered up for the Pass D a lot. I don’t t think the Colts are actually able to stop the pass if they want to. I think they rely purely on the pass rush to get there. 
 

What you saw from Jones is the high of Bradley’s D. When everything goes according to plan, CBs are supposed to read the QB and make breaks on the ball for either PBUs or INTs. The problem is that rarely happens. The big issue is how horrible they are at defending 3rd down and how many in opputune big plays they give up. They allowed a 100+ yard receiver and 97 yard TE against the Bears.  Thats not going to cut it.

 

We are 27th in The league for opponent 3rd down conversion at 50%. Awful

 

31st In the league for rush yards allowed per game. Awful

 

21st in the league for passing yards per game allowed. Bad

 

24th for passing TDs allowed. Bad

 

31st in the league for yards a game with 398!!! Awful

 

To answer the original question, it is awfully bad. Near the bottom for every major defensive category. Some blame goes to the offense but that wasn’t the issue in the Houston game, so it a moot point.

[2006Coltsbestever]

Hey, we stopped the run yesterday