3 Big Picture Thoughts From Pittsburgh: What NEEDS to Be Fixed vs. Tennessee

The Colts had a somewhat predictable loss in Pittsburgh last week. Given the rest edge, it was easy to tell that the Colts would have a large mountain to climb. A win, in my mind, would have been quite impressive. The Colts had to come back from London and then go on the road to play a team that had an embarrassing loss on Thursday night. 

That being said, it some ways even uglier than I thought it would be, particularly on defense.

1.The Communication on Defense hasn’t improved, and it’s very concerning

This was a rep that was an immediate red flag. No throw to the flat should ever go for a score, so the first thing we can call out is the tackling. Obviously the tackling and effort to fly to the football is less than ideal. Mooney Ward should be fighting to get off the block. But what’s even more concerning is how the Colts got there in the first place. This is as basic a look as you can possibly get in the NFL. It’s 2×2 and there’s no change of strength motion, no direct picks or rubs, it’s a static look. Warren is the hot into the flat. He is the “Fast #3”. In zone match coverages, there has to be answer for the RB running fast to the flat. Some defenses will “push” the flat to the nickel since he’s better leveraged to make that play. Others will ask the LB to match that flat. The issue in this case, is that both Walley and Bryce Boettcher are playing techniques assuming the other is on the same page. They weren’t and Warren is an uncovered hot. 

Lou Anarumo in his press conference alluded to Bryce Boettcher having a technique issue on the play, which would suggest that it was his responsibility to “peel” and take the RB into the flat.

Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Dan Lanning defenses often “push” a Fast #3 in Rip/Liz or 3 match coverage, so maybe he reverted back to what he was used to doing at Oregon. Either way, it’s not good and it’s pretty concerning. It’s on the coaches and it’s on the young players.

I have never installed a NFL defense, but I do feel confident in saying that this is a look that probably should be mastered early into training camp.

2.As a result, the Colts are already abandoning their plan to get younger on defense. That is also concerning.

The Colts signed Germaine Pratt to the practice squad, who actually had some moments of really good football for the Colts. I think back to the Chiefs game in particular.

That being said, I struggle to find another way to look at this other than the coaches are simply waiving the white towel. 

Does that mean the players the Colts drafted just aren’t good enough? Does it mean the coaches aren’t coaching well enough? Maybe both? 

But if Germaine Pratt plays meaningful reps on Sunday, there’s no other way to look at it than a failure and directly contradictory to the company line this offseason: We need to get younger and faster on defense. This just adds to a laundry list of weird construction of defense this offseason. When the messaging and the on-field product deviate this much from each other, it’s usually a red flag that there’s more at play— the Colts just don’t want to admit it.

My best guess is that this system is such a departure from what the Colts have scouted for in Chris Ballard’s tenure, that the front office and the defensive staff just can’t get on the same page for what they are looking for. 

3.I think Daniel Jones took a step in the right direction and can still play better.

I found it a bit odd the amount of critics Daniel Jones got after the loss on Sunday. That’s not to say the box score was overly generous to him, or that he was lights out. But I thought he took a step in the right direction.

The Colts definitively lost the battle up front, could not run the ball, and had a lack of receiver talent that has plagued them all season. 

Plain and simple, Daniel Jones can be good enough to win you games, but dropping back 40+ times with no run game is not a winning formula. 

Unless you are an elite of the elite, most QBs need a proper run game to survive. Look at Sam Darnold. I would make the argument that for the most part, Darnold is the same QB he was last year. But without Price and a proper run game, things look different. He’s in an offensive infrastructure that exposes him to more hits and tougher tight window throws when the offense is behind the sicks.

The same applies to Daniel Jones and the vast majority of QBs in the league. In my opinion, the Colts need to do more to help him out. Part of that is scheme, but part of that is just the talent around him.

I am not closing the book on Daniel Jones playing better, especially as he has more reps under his belt to trust the achilles.