How good is this defense?

[omahacolt]

Originally Posted by Dam8610

Well I suppose if the offense gives up a TD and puts the other team in FG range to start the drive 3 other times, essentially giving up 16 points themselves, then there might be nothing Leonard can do about it. That said, since that game, the Colts have allowed the fewest points in the NFL both overall and on a per game basis.

Leonard is one player. He only has so much of an impact.


The colts defense has been largely helped out by playing trash offenses.

[Dam8610]

Originally Posted by omahacolt

Leonard is one player. He only has so much of an impact.


The colts defense has been largely helped out by playing trash offenses.

One player can sometimes have a very big impact.

The Colts can only play their schedule. Plus some of these "trash offenses" dropped some pretty big numbers on some of the best scoring defenses in the league.

[DrSpaceman]

I don't think the Colts played "trash" offenses this year.

But they played few of the top ones, at least in terms of QBs

I would say most would agree the list of top 10 QBs includes, no particular order, and we will exclude Luck :

1. Brees
2. Rodgers, though GB had an off year
3. Brady, grudgingly admitted
4. Raper-burger
5. Rivers this year was great, most years I would not put him on this list
6. Matt Ryan
7. Mahommes, new to the list this season
8. Brees
9. Russell Wilson
10. Jared Goff to round it out, especially given how good the offense has been

You may agree/disagree on a few, but 8/10 or so I would say most would agree on.

Colts have played exactly one of those 10 so far, and they lost, to brady.

now that was a strike shortened week and without Leonard and Walker too I think at LB, but still, a loss

Haven't faced any of the other 10 so far this year

After that there is a large group of middling to good, or up and coming QBs. Watson, Trubisky, Stafford, Wentz when healthy (and he is not), Cam Newton when healthy (again, not now), Dak Prescott, Eli, Kirk Cousins, some others. They have faced some of those and had success

Out of the top 10 or so for the year, besides Luck, though, did not have to face them this season, except Brady

[Racehorse]

Originally Posted by DrSpaceman

I don't think the Colts played "trash" offenses this year.

But they played few of the top ones, at least in terms of QBs

I would say most would agree the list of top 10 QBs includes, no particular order, and we will exclude Luck :

1. Brees
2. Rodgers, though GB had an off year
3. Brady, grudgingly admitted
4. Raper-burger
5. Rivers this year was great, most years I would not put him on this list
6. Matt Ryan
7. Mahommes, new to the list this season
8. Brees
9. Russell Wilson
10. Jared Goff to round it out, especially given how good the offense has been

You may agree/disagree on a few, but 8/10 or so I would say most would agree on.

Colts have played exactly one of those 10 so far, and they lost, to brady.

now that was a strike shortened week and without Leonard and Walker too I think at LB, but still, a loss

Haven't faced any of the other 10 so far this year

After that there is a large group of middling to good, or up and coming QBs. Watson, Trubisky, Stafford, Wentz when healthy (and he is not), Cam Newton when healthy (again, not now), Dak Prescott, Eli, Kirk Cousins, some others. They have faced some of those and had success

Out of the top 10 or so for the year, besides Luck, though, did not have to face them this season, except Brady

This got me curious, so I went to see how each QB we played fared against us compared with their season. I will show details later, but it seems like just Brady, Eli and Darnold were much better against us when you consider yards and TDs. The Jets game was atrocious for our offense, so that explains that one. Brady DID throw two INTs against us, compared to 11 for the year. Then you see how we held Prescott and Watsonin check, for the most part. Looks like our defense is a little better than the top half, possibly 12th?

[Maniac]

Leonard was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 17.

[albany ed]

IMO, this defense is pretty strong vs. the run and pretty weak vs the pass. Shoring up the pass defense for next year should be the #1 priority.

We need a better pass rush, stronger CB play and some help at LBer pass defense. At least the first 2 draft choices should be for the D. Depth for the OL would be good as well.

[Racehorse]

Originally Posted by albany ed

IMO, this defense is pretty strong vs. the run and pretty weak vs the pass. Shoring up the pass defense for next year should be the #1 priority.

We need a better pass rush, stronger CB play and some help at LBer pass defense. At least the first 2 draft choices should be for the D. Depth for the OL would be good as well.

I didn't even look to see how we did for RBs versus their average, since we held every RB we faced under 100 yards. That list includes Fournette, Zeke, Saquon, Henry, and probably another that I am missing.

Now, that could be because teams can pass on us pretty well, but to be able to stuff third and short as often as we have bodes well for the playoffs.

[YDFL Commish]

I can't remember the last time the Colts did not allow a 100 yd rusher through an entire regular season?

Maybe the '95 team?

[Chromeburn]

Originally Posted by albany ed

IMO, this defense is pretty strong vs. the run and pretty weak vs the pass. Shoring up the pass defense for next year should be the #1 priority.

We need a better pass rush, stronger CB play and some help at LBer pass defense. At least the first 2 draft choices should be for the D. Depth for the OL would be good as well.

Our secondary has improved a lot over the course of the season. Improved interior and exterior pass rush will make them even better and cause more turnovers. Add some pieces to the dline. Maybe another vet for the secondary. Another weapon or two on offense and I think this team will be very well rounded.

[southside asshole]

Originally Posted by Chromeburn

Our secondary has improved a lot over the course of the season. Improved interior and exterior pass rush will make them even better and cause more turnovers. Add some pieces to the dline. Maybe another vet for the secondary. Another weapon or two on offense and I think this team will be very well rounded.

I mostly agree.

I think the most glaring need for the defense is a good nose tackle type. You add a big nasty NT who requires consistent double-teams to the D-line, and we can start generating pressure rushing 4 out of our base cover zone, and actually cover some of that underneath stuff on 2nd and long, 3rd and long situations. As is it, we allow teams to convert on 3rd and long way too often over the middle of the field, because we have send LBs and DBs after the quarterback.

On offense, I'd like to see another consistent deep threat at WR. If we had another guy like Hilton who could pose a decision for opposing defenses on who to double-cover, with the line we have, this offense becomes almost impossible to stop.