Two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Indianapolis Colts find their defense ranked last against the run. In just two games, Indy has already given up 474 yards on the ground with an average 5.1 yards per carry. They have also allowed the most rushes per game, with 46.5 rushes, and they allow teams to rush an average of 65% of the time.
With these staggering stats, the Colts defense is allowing opposing offenses to stay on the field. Through two games, they have been on the field 66.82% of the time, which ranks worst in the NFL. This means that they are allowing long drives, which stems from allowing successful rushes. This also means that their offense rarely sees the field and rarely has opportunity to have possession to score points.
Needless to say, the Colts are struggling bad against the rush. However, the season is still young, and there are several playmakers on the defensive line who can step up and get this run defense in order.
Three Playmakers Who Can Be the Key for the Colts Defense
Laiatu Latu
The Colts top draft pick, Laiatu Latu, has had a relatively quiet start to his NFL career. On Sunday against the Packers, he recorded a fumble recovery, but other than that, he only has one assisted tackle. It isn’t time to jump on the NFL-bust-train just yet. However, if this Colts defense wants to help its offense, Latu has to play a part in being a disruption on this line.
Whether that is putting pressure on the quarterback or tackling running backs for a loss, Latu has to step up. He was drafted in the first round and was the first defensive player taken on the board. In college, he was considered, by many, as the best defensive player in the draft. So far, he has had a slow start, but he has the build, skills, and talent to break out and showcase why he was the first defensive player picked in the draft.
Adetomiwa Adebawore
With the Colts defense already struggling with interior contain, their all-pro tackle, DeForest Buckner was recently placed on injured reserve. This means that he will miss at least four games to give him time to heal. Buckner has always been one of the more productive playmakers on the line, so this is a huge loss. That being said, though, its next-man-up in the NFL and for the Colts, that man is Adetomiwa Adebawore.
Adebawore is entering his second season in the league as a solid depth piece. As a rookie last year, he accumulated two sacks, four quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss. This season, he already has one tackle for loss which came against the Packers. Adebawore will look to build upon his work last season with his 282 pound frame to stuff runners at the line. In Buckner’s absence, the Colts will certainly look to Adebawore to fill the void.
Zaire Franklin
Zaire Franklin has made a name for himself in this league by being an absolute tackling machine. In the last two seasons, Franklin has been in the top five in total tackles and solo tackles. This season, however, he is off to a slow start by his standards. Through two games, he ranked tied for 20th in total tackles with 18. That being said, his counterpart, EJ Speed is off to a very good start to the season with 16 solo tackles.
With his tackles being lower than what the league would expect, he is also off to a slow start in terms of run coverage. As mentioned earlier, the Colts defense has struggled against the run and having one of their top linebackers also struggle add more fuel to the dumpster fire. According to Noah Compton’s list of Pro Football Focus grades, Franklin has been terrible against the run. In week one, he received a grade of 28 out of 100, and in week two, he received a grade of 35.7. As a veteran on this defense, the Colts need Franklin to step up and get back to his tackling-machine ways.
Bottom Line
Being able to stop the run is crucial for a defense to have success. If the opposing offense can become one-dimensional, it makes coverage so much easier for the secondary. It also provides opportunities for edge rushers to get into the backfield to disrupt the quarterback. The Colts season is not over because of the 0-2 start, as they still have enough talent throughout this defense to get back on track. However, it starts with their run defense.
Main Image: Wm. Glasheen – USA Today Sports
