INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts went all in on fixing their defense during the offseason.
It's paying bid dividends.
New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's more aggressive scheme has the Colts making big play after big play. The number of takeaways and sacks have increased substantially, and Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is showing everyone he's still an elite game wrecker.
All of it was evident during Sunday's 38-24 victory,
which knocked the Los Angeles Chargers out of the AFC West lead and gave the surprising AFC-best Colts (6-1) a two-game lead in the South.
“They've got a great quarterback and we knew they were going to make some plays,” coach Shane Steichen said Monday. “But I thought our defense did a great job with the takeaways. Holding that team to 24 points, I thought was good by our defense.”
It's a far cry from last year when Buckner described Indy's defense as the worst he'd played on since joining Indy in 2020.
Yes, most of the attention surrounding Indy's resurgence has focused rightfully on the rebirth of quarterback Daniel Jones, the re-emergence of Jonathan Taylor and the league's best scoring offense. The Colts know they would not be here — and won't stay here — without an improved defense.
Buckner is the leader. He had five tackles, relentlessly pressured Justin Herbert up the middle and had two sacks — the most by an interior lineman in nearly two years. The pressure led to defensive tackle Grover Stewart's tipped ball and interception as well as the key late stop when the one-dimensional Chargers were trying to rally from a 20-point halftime deficit.
How much has changed?
Only Chicago and Jacksonville have more takeaways than Indy (11) and only four teams have more sacks than the Colts (19). A year ago, the Colts had 25 takeaways and 36 sacks in 17 games. Plus, Indy has jumped from 24th in scoring defense (25.1 points) into a tie for eighth (20.0).
But the more daunting tests may come over the next month.
After hosting struggling Tennessee (1-6) and No. 1 overall draft pick Cam Ward on Sunday, they visit four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and AFC North-leading Pittsburgh (5-2). They then face 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. and Atlanta (3-3) before visiting defending AFC champ Kansas City (4-3) and two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes following their bye.
Survive that stretch, and the Colts' defense may be well on its way to helping end the team's four-year playoff drought.
“The offense kept scoring and we sort of kept doing our job good and get a key stop and we're able to get that after 21 plays,” said Nick Cross, who had an interception Sunday. “It was just one of those things that shows the resilience, the mental fortitude, the competitiveness in our defense.”
Taylor. Though he didn't rush for 100 yards Sunday, his stock continues to soar. He needed just 19 touches to get 132 scrimmage yards, continues to lead the league in yards rushing (697 yards) and TD runs (10) and is the first player in Colts history with three TD runs in three games in a single season.
Pass coverage. Indy's battered secondary struggled to shut down the passing game for a second straight week as Herbert got the Chargers within striking distance by repeatedly finding Keenan Allen and Oronde Gadsden II for big plays in the second half.
RB Ameer Abdullah. The 11-year veteran again was activated off the practice squad and may get more snaps after picking up a key first down early in the game. He then helped Indy re-establish its momentum with an 81-yard kickoff return after Los Angeles opened the second half with a TD to cut the deficit to 23-10.
CB Charvarius Ward. The former Pro Bowler went on injured reserve late last week after suffering a concussion during a bizarre collision with TE Drew Ogletree during pregame warmups in Week 6. The move kept him out of Sunday's game and he'll miss at least three more weeks.
Two defensive linemen suffered injuries — Samson Ebukam (knee) and Tyquan Lewis (groin). Steichen did not have definitive updates Monday, but Ebukam did not return to the game.
3 — Stewart's interception combined with the two earlier picks by DE Laiatu Latu gives Indy's defensive linemen three INTs this season. It's the first time two Colts linemen have recorded an interception in the same season since Jon Hand and Harvey Armstrong in 1986.
Indy needs to take full advantage of its opportunities to close out games, but if the Colts can play as well as they did Sunday consistently, they might finally be headed back to the playoffs.
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