The Indianapolis Colts 39-35 loss to the Detroit Lions exposed some of their biggest flaws on both sides of the ball. Their defense could only get one sack and not a single turnover. Other things, including missed tackles and poor pass coverage, were very apparent. There are a few things you could blame it on including injuries and poor coaching.
Head coach Chuck Pagano has been on the hot seat since the end of the 2015 season. Injuries played a big part in the lack of consistency with the defense. Linebacker and leading tackler Sio Moore was hampered with injury problems for most of the game. Cornerbacks Patrick Robinson and Antonio Cromartie struggled with injury as well. The safety position didn’t fair much better as rookie T.J. Green went down Sunday. With all of this happening it seems like the Indianapolis Colts inept defense is wasting Andrew Luck’s talent.
Indianapolis Colts Defense Must Improve
Recap of the Game
The Colts came into Sunday’s game as a four point favorite over the Lions. However, the Lions got off to a quick start, leading 21-3 at one point. The Colts did come roaring back and ended up taking the lead for the first time when they scored with 37 seconds remaining in the game to make it 35-34.
Yet the Lions would not go away. They scored on a game winning field goal with four seconds remaining. The Colts gave up a safety on the final kickoff to seal the loss at 39-35. Luck played great with 385 yards passing and four touchdowns. Frank Gore was good when called upon. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry and had 78 total yards. Wide receiver Phillip Dorsett (94 yards receiving) and tight end Jack Doyle (two touchdowns) both had big games as well.
Furthermore, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford matched Luck every step of the way. He threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns. Lions running back Theo Riddick had over 100 total yards and two touchdowns. Riddick was also one of the biggest problems for the Colts defense in the red zone.
How to Fix the Problem
The biggest issue with the Colts defense right now could very well be them simply not being healthy. Along with all the injuries that happened in the game itself, the Colts were already missing five starters. They are hoping to have defensive lineman Kendall Langford and Henry Anderson back next week. they’re also hoping to have starting safety Clayton Geathers back soon.
However, even all of the injuries the Colts have sustained shouldn’t have created this big of a problem with the defense. According to ESPN, the Colts have really been preaching a “next man up” sort of mentality. Defensive leaders like Robert Mathis and Mike Adams did not play as well as they had to in order to help Indy win.
When considering all the issues with the defense there are three things that stick out. The pass rush has got to improve. This is where Mathis really has to get better. Edge rusher Erik Walden seemed to get the most pressure on Stafford of all of the Colts defenders, but he still didn’t get that much. Also, the secondary looked like Swiss cheese during the game. However, when Pro Bowl cornerback Vontae Davis returns from injury, the secondary should improve. The troubles could also be blamed on Robinson and Cromartie getting injured, but they still weren’t great when they were playing healthy. Consistency should be the biggest factor toward making the secondary better as the season goes along. Finally, the biggest problem was the missed tackles. Numerous five to ten yard gains could have easily been held to under four yards if not for broken tackles. Poor awareness and a lack of strength seemed to be two big problems for the front seven for the Colts.
Once again, getting some starters back from injury, especially along the defensive line, should help this problem. Flashes from rookies like linebacker Antonio Morrison could also be promising for the Colts defense long-term.
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