Assessing Colts' Offseason Needs: Defense
As the Indianapolis Colts (7-8) travel for Sunday’s season finale at the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-10), let’s look ahead again at what this team needs to improve in 2020.
The second in a three-story installment analyzes the defense, which ranks 15th in points allowed (22.3), 16th in total yards allowed (346.4), 22nd in passing yards allowed (246.4) and eighth in rushing yards allowed (100).
Defensive line — Everything starts in the trenches, and as the statistics attest, the Colts need to be better in applying pressure in the passing game. They’re tied for 17th with 38 sacks, which means an inconsistent pass rush. Too many times in close games, the defense didn’t get stops late when the opponent was predominantly one-dimensional toward throwing. Defensive end Justin Houston has a team-high 10 sacks, the first time he’s been in double digits since 2014, so he’s proven himself worthy of receiving a two-year, $24 million contract in the offseason. But what about everybody else?
General manager Chris Ballard must decide whether to re-sign defensive end Jabaal Sheard, the most consistent every-down lineman who stops the run and has 3.5 sacks. He’s missed four games due to injury. At 30, he’s still got plenty of game left, but Ballard might look to the draft to add younger talent. The rest of the defensive linemen are role players who seldom shine as playmakers, which is what this defense needs. Defensive tackle Al-Quadin Muhammad earned more playing time and has three sacks. He’s just 24 and signed through 2020, so expect him to see the field more. Defensive tackle Denico Autry has shown he’s capable of more than 3.5 sacks, so he’ll need to play more like the guy who had a career-high nine sacks in 2018 if he wants to be retained after his contract ends in 2020.
Second-year defensive end Kemoko Turay was on the verge of becoming a standout player when he was lost for the season after four games to an ankle injury. Expect Turay to get more playing time next season if that surgically repaired ankle is sound. Second-year defensive end Tyquan Lewis has been disappointing, mostly through no fault of his own because his body has betrayed him. He missed eight games as a rookie due to a toe injury and he’s been sidelined for seven this season due to injuries. Rookie defensive end Ben Banogu, a second-round pick, has shown flashes but must be more consistent.
As much as Ballard would like to be able to count on his young players to improve, expect him to use one or two draft picks on the defensive line with an emphasis on versatile talents with speed who can rush the passer.
Linebacker — The strength of this defense starts with weakside linebacker Darius Leonard, who despite being sidelined for three games still leads the Colts with 115 total tackles. “The Maniac” personifies what Ballard is looking for in discovering playmakers who deliver impact moments. Leonard also has five sacks, four interceptions including one returned for a touchdown and two forced fumbles. Second-leading tackler Anthony Walker is a bargain at $801,354 against the salary cap in 2020. He has 107 total tackles with 2.5 sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. Outside linebacker Bobby Okereke might be the best player in the Colts rookie class with 64 total tackles, which ranks fourth. While he had some humbling moments early, often being out of place or missing tackles, he gradually improved to become a reliable player on the edge. He just needs more sacks. The only one he’s had forced a fumble against Tennessee.
Don’t be surprised if Ballard adds another speedy linebacker to the fold because it’s such an important position in this defense and depth is lacking. Again, the emphasis is finding guys who can rush the passer, defend well and have the speed to run down ballcarriers. Not everybody is going to be like Leonard, but that’s the standard that everyone else on this unit must strive to achieve.
Secondary — There’s no question this has been the area of greatest concern moving forward. The Colts don’t have enough quality players who can cover. Rookie cornerback Rock Ya-Sin improved dramatically from early on, when his grab-and-tug style earned five flags in one game for holding. He still clutches too much, but he’s adapted and shows promise. While cornerback Pierre Desir had two interceptions against Carolina, keep in mind he was playing a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start. Those plays don’t make up for what’s expected from someone who is supposed to be the team’s best cover corner, a player who received a three-year, $22.5-million contract entering 2019. Desir played hurt for much of the season with a nagging hamstring, so perhaps there’s more understanding for his situation and faith that he will improve when healthy. Nickel cornerback Kenny Moore II is the unit’s second-best playmaker after Leonard. The only thing that stopped him as a solid cover guy and effective blitzer was being sidelined for four games due to injury.
Safety Malik Hooker leads the secondary as a capable ball hawk, although he needs to make more splash plays like his one-handed interception in the season opener at Los Angeles. He and Moore are the reliable constants in this secondary. Everyone else has to prove they belong. Rookie safety Khari Willis earned enough snaps to climb the tackle chart to third with 71 total stops. He’s still got to learn, but has shown tremendous progress and could be a keeper. But the safeties need to communicate better with the cornerbacks. There was too much finger-pointing on broken pass plays where receivers were inexplicably left uncovered because someone thought someone else was supposed to cover. How in the world can Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins be allowed to run free for a deep touchdown reception?
Based on this season’s results, when the defense failed to close out one-score games on six occasions, the Colts must add more guys who can cover. Finding those special players is rare, perhaps only surpassed in difficulty to adding the right quarterback. As much as Ballard needs to bolster the defensive line, he must also do so at cornerback. The one time the Colts were able to rely more on man-to-man defense and it worked was an upset win at Kansas City, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes was hobbled and the Colts’ pass rush was able to get consistent pressure on the 2018 NFL MVP. That didn’t happen nearly enough.
