Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley is staying with the Indianapolis Colts for at least the 2024 NFL season, and there is good reason as to why. After a much-anticipated end of the 2023 season press conference, Colts General Manager Chris Ballard announced that the plan is for Gus Bradley to remain as defensive coordinator. Ballard addressed the negatives that came with the defense last season, particularly youth in the secondary. However, when asked if Bradley is expected to be back with the team, Ballard immediately responded with, “Yes”. This certainly came as a shock to many fans around the league, but it is evident that the Colts believe in what Bradley can do as a coordinator.
Aside from the verbal stamp of approval, here is on-the-field proof of why Gus Bradley is staying with the Indianapolis Colts.
Why the Indianapolis Colts Are Retaining Gus Bradley
Leading the Defense to a Historical Sack Production
The Colts finished the 2023 NFL season being top-five in total sacks at 51. This total matches their franchise record set in 2012. On top of those 51 sacks, it was a complete group effort by the front seven as four guys finished the year with 8+ sacks. For a Colts team that blitzed the least in the NFL last year, this type of production speaks volumes to the personnel and scheme that Bradley orchestrated. It was not perfect by any means, but it was efficient.
Overcoming Key Injuries in the Secondary
Early on in the 2023 NFL season, the Colts were considered a defense that had the potential to be great. Part of their early season success was the defense and the stability and continuity that was within the unit. To begin the season, this team faced the Jaguars, Texans, and Ravens. Throughout those first 3 games, Indy racked up 12 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, and 7 forced fumbles.
They were sitting in first place in the division with a 2-1 record, but as the season progressed, key injuries on defense started to pile up. The first notable injury came to a promising 2nd year-starting cornerback Dallas Flowers. During the Colts week 4 matchup against the Rams, Flowers sustained an Achilles injury that would end his season. What made this injury sting the most was the fact that Bradley already benched one of his starting corners, Darrell Baker Jr. In light of Flowers’ injury, he would have to utilize Baker Jr. again, Tony Brown with just 4 career starts, and rookie Jaylon Jones.
Towards the end of the season, 4th-year veteran safety Julian Blackmon suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year. Up until this point, the Colts were already thin in the secondary with rookies and inexperience, so having an experienced safety go down was just another challenge that Gus Bradley had to overcome. The whole mentality of this defense in 2023 was next-man-up. Often times it worked, but in moments when plays needed to the made at crucial moments, it did not end up working. It’s hard to fault the coach for bad execution as teams have to play with who they have available. For Bradley, he constantly had to reshuffle his secondary and work with who he had.
Overcoming Youth in the Secondary
The most glaring issue that the Colts had last season on defense was inexperience. Within the entire Colts secondary, only Kenny Moore II had true veteran, full-season experiences. Corners Tony Brown and Darrell Baker Jr. had minimal playing time in their careers. Rookies JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones did not have any experience. So, when a team has inexperience across the secondary, it’s amazing that Bradley’s defense managed to hold up as well as it did. Keep in mind that Gus Bradley also had them hold up against offenses like the Texans and Ravens.
That being said, this unit did finish ranked 28th in points allowed and 24th in yards allowed. There was also a 3-game losing stretch in which the defense gave up an average of 38 points. On the flip side, they went into another 3-game winning stretch in which the defense only gave up an average of 13 points. Needless to say, there were certainly some inconsistencies, and primarily that inconsistency came in the secondary. Even with the inconsistencies, this team still managed 9 wins and almost clinched a division title. This success was in part due to the production of the defense, and the scheme and personnel that Gus Bradley utilized.
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