The Colts' Defense, 2025 Season

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. DOLPHINS, 9/07)


The Colts' defense was pitching a shutout until their were less than 7 minutes to play in the 4th quarter ...... in fact, it was 4th down-and-goal when the Dolphins finally broke through with a TD that got them on the board.

TOP was overwhelming in favor of the Colts (38:43 to 21:17), as were the number of plays-from-scrimmage (70 to 46) ...... the Colts' defense was resting a lot throughout the game, while the Dolphins' defense was laboring heavily throughout it.

At the start of the 4th quarter with the game already well-in-hand, the Dolphins had 74 yards passing ...... you read that correctly, 74 yards passing.


On the other side of the ball, the Colts' offense had 7 possessions, and scored on all 7 of them (3 TD's, 4 FG's.)



Possessions: llllllllllllllllllllllllllt 7

INT's: llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll. 2

Fumbles: llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 1

Punts: llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 1

Turnover On Downs: llllllll.) 1

Clock Ran Out: llllllllllllllllllll.) 1

TD's: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll., 1

o

[YDFL Commish]

Finally, I have legit reason to like these threads of yours C&O.

What a world of difference an aggressive approach to defense makes. Suck it, Gus Bradley!

[Colts And Orioles]

Finally, I have legit reason to like these threads of yours, C&O.

What a world of difference an aggressive approach to defense makes ...... suck it, Gus Bradley !!!




o


The threads themselves are/were inert. It's the Colts' defense that you didn't like.

o

[omahacolt]

o


The threads themselves are/were inert. It's the Colts' defense that you didn't like.

o

it can be both

[Discflinger]

Not to mention that the refs missed a delay of game on their scoring drive. I believe that play was a chunk play as well.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


The threads themselves are/were inert. It's the Colts' defense that you didn't like.

o






It can be both.





o


Good point, and thanks for saying that.

That said, it's usually heavily weighted on how the defense plays. If the defense has a great season, the annual defense thread is going to be overwhelmingly liked by the team's fans. And if the team's defense is horrible, the thread is not going to be at the top of the team's fans' Christmas list.

It's somewhat similar to baseball, when fans argue and complain about the team's color commentator. When their team goes 97-65 for the season, there will almost always be much less complaining about said commentators than when the team goes 65-97. When the team goes 97-65, even if the team's color commentator does suck, most fans will either be too busy celebrating the team's success to care much about it or will laugh off the color commentator's suckage as comic relief in anotherwise joyful season. When a team goes 65-97, the pitchforks and fire come out for everybody from the players to the coaches to the color commentatrors to the guy selling soda in the upper deck of the stadium.

o

[YDFL Commish]

Let's give DB coach Chris Hewitt a shout out as well. This was underrated big get to improving the DB room.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. BRONCOS, 9/14)



TD


PUNT


TD


TD


PUNT


TD


PUNT


INT


MISSED FG

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. TITANS, 9/21)



Possessions: llllllllllllllllllllllllllll 9

INT's: llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll... 1

Punts: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll. 1

Turnover On Downs: llllllll.) 1

Missed FG's: llllllllllllllllllllllllll.. 2

TD's: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll., 2

FG's: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll., 2

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. RAMS, 9/28)



FG

Turnover On Downs

FG

TD

Punt

Punt

Punt

Punt

Fumble Recovery

TD

TD

Clock Ran Out

o

[sherck]

I was exceedlingly pleased that going into the 4th quarter, the Rams only had 13 points. The defense, while allowing quite a bit of yardage to be gained, had really keep their scoring in check.

Alas, it appeared to me that the defense was gassed in the 4th, that the Rams studied and took advantage of what we are offering to them and scored 14 points to win the game.

I thougth the defense played well. If not for two TDs negated by AD Mitchell, we would have won going away.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. RAMS, 9/28)


Punt

Punt

Punt

Punt

o
o


All 4 of these punts occurred in the 4th quarter.


Strangely enough, in 1984 I witnessed an NFL record that is about as rare as it goes involving this the same franchise (the Los Angeles Rams.) Because of the fact that I live in New York State, in 1984 I got all of the New York Giants and New York Jets games on my TV. The Rams were playing the Giants. The Rams actually scored 3 safeties in one quarter ....... l 3 SAFETIES IN ONE QUARTER !!! ) :eek:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjtagxucQ6U

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. RAIDERS, 10/05)



FG

PUNT l (Blocked)

INT

MISSED FG l (57 Yards)

PUNT

INT

Turnover on Downs

FG

Clock Ran Out

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. CARDINALS, 10/12)



Possessions: llllllllllllllllllllll..) 10

INT's: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.. 1

Punts: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt. 2

Turnover On Downs: lllllllll. 1

Clock Ran Out: llllllllllllllllllllll 1

TD's: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt 3

FG's: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt 2

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(Tvs. CHARGERS, 10/18)



I don't think that the Colts' defense played as good as they appeared to play in the 1st half, and I also don't think that they played as badly as they appeared to play in the 2nd half ...... I'll explain.

The Chargers were so far behind on the scoreboard in the 2nd half that they went for it on 4th down l 4 TIMES l when they ordinarily would not have done so if the game were closer ...... if this had been a close game, the Chargers would have kicked a field goal and punted 3 times on those 4th downs. But they were so far behind and had nothing to lose, so the Colts' defense had to essentially make 4 extra stops than they ordinarily would have.


So in my rat's ass of an opinion, Justin Herbert's 420 yards passing is not necessarily all that alarming when taking into consideration the circumstances surrounding those gaudy statistics ...... yes, the Colts' defense did not play as well in the 2nd half as they did in the 1st half, but they also were in completely different situations in those 2 halves.




FG


PUNT


INT


INT


TD


TD


TD


Turnover on Downs

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. TIITANS, 10/26)



Possessions: lllllllllllllllllllllllll. 11

Punts: llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt 5

INT's: lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.t 1

Turnover On Downs: lllllllllt 1

Clock Ran Out: lllllllllllllllllllllt 1

Missed FG's: llllllllllllllllllllllllll.. 1 l (58-Yard Attempt)

TD's: llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllt 2

o

[sherck]

o


(vs. TIITANS, 10/26)

The number of your possessions adds up to 11, not 10.

[Discflinger]

On coverage I've been calling 16 Nuthin cause there's Nothing 'Dulin' for the return man.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. STEELERS, 11/02)



PUNT


PUNT


Turnover on Downs


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover)


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover)


FG


PUNT


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover)


PUNT


FG l (Off of a Colts Turnover)


Fumble Recovery


PUNT

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. STEELERS, 11/02)



PUNT


PUNT


Turnover on Downs


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover)


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover)


FG


PUNT


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover)


PUNT


FG l (Off of a Colts Turnover)


Fumble Recovery


PUNT

o

o


24 out of the 27 points that the Steelers scored came off of Colts turnovers.

o

[Chromeburn]

Defense wasn’t the problem against the Steelers. They held Rodgers to 200 yards.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. FALCONS, 11/09)



Fumble Recovery


TD


PUNT


PUNT l (Off of a Colts Missed Field Goal)


TD


Clock Ran Out


FG


PUNT l (Off of a Colts Fumble)


PUNT


PUNT


TD


Clock Ran Out



*************************



(OVERTIME)


PUNT

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(NOVEMBER 12th)



Lou Anarumo Is Flirting With Disaster Even While Colts Keep Winning

(By Lee Vowel)

https://horseshoeheroes.com/lou-anarumo-flirting-with-disaster-even-while-indianapolis-colts-keep-winning

o

[Thorgrim]

o


(NOVEMBER 12th)



Lou Anarumo Is Flirting With Disaster Even While Colts Keep Winning

(By Lee Vowel)

https://horseshoeheroes.com/lou-anarumo-flirting-with-disaster-even-while-indianapolis-colts-keep-winning

o
Glaring yet not sure how to correct it at this point.

[YDFL Commish]

Is Jaylon Carlies ever going to see the field this season? I see that he has an IR/Designated to return status. He's the only one of these dudes that can cover worth a damn.

Also, Ballard's main focus in the next 2 drafts has to be athletic LB's along with OL and DL.

[Racehorse]

Is Jaylon Carlies ever going to see the field this season? I see that he has an IR/Designated to return status. He's the only one of these dudes that can cover worth a damn.

Also, Ballard's main focus in the next 2 drafts has to be athletic LB's along with OL and DL.

We need to find the next Maniac.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. CHIEFS, 11/23)



INT


FG


FG


FG


PUNT


PUNT


Fumble Recovery


TD


PUNT


FG



**********************



(OVERTIME)


FG

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. CHIEFS, 11/23)



INT


FG


FG


FG


PUNT


PUNT


Fumble Recovery


TD


PUNT


FG



**********************



(OVERTIME)


FG

o

o


In my rat's ass of an opinion, this was a very solid game played by a Colts defense that was without DeForest Buckner, and going against one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time on his homefield in western Missouri ...... I'm looking forward to a potential rematch with the Chiefs in Indianapolis in the AFC championship game.

o

[sherck]

o


In my rat's ass of an opinion, this was a very solid game played by a Colts defense

o
100% agree.

We kept the best player in the NFL who has taken over WAY too many games in the past couple of years, on their home field, in a game that was "MUST WIN" for them to 20 points in regulation with a TON of questional ref calls that helped them out massively.

The defense did their job.

[Oldcolt]

The offense did them no favors with all those 3 and outs.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. TEXANS, 11/30)



FG


PUNT


PUNT


INT


TD


Turnover on Downs


FG


TD


Turnover on Downs


Clock Ran Out

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o



(vs. JAGUARS, 12/07)



The Jaguars scored 21 points in the 1st half after the Colts turned the ball over 3 times (INT, Fumble, Turnover On Downs.)



************************************************** ***************************



PUNT


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover Deep in Their Own Territory)


TD


PUNT


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover Deep in Their Own Territory)


Fumble


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover On Downs Near Midfield)


PUNT


FG


Turnover On Downs


FG l (After a Colts Safety)


Clock Ran Out

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. SEAHAWKS, 12/14)



PUNT


FG


PUNT


PUNT


FG


FG


PUNT


FG


FG


FG

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


On a mildly-related note (team defense) Texas A&M and Miami-Fl are deadlocked in a scoreless tie at halftime in the college football playoff tournament.



12 POSSESSIONS

**************

7 PUNTS

1 Fumble

1 Turnover on Downs

2 Missed FG

1 Blocked FG

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


On a mildly-related note (team defense) Texas A&M and Miami-Fl are deadlocked in a scoreless tie at halftime in the college football playoff tournament.



12 POSSESSIONS

**************

7 PUNTS

1 Fumble

1 Turnover on Downs

2 Missed FG

1 Blocked FG

o

o


Our beloved Colts are probably going to need a similarly excellent game on Monday night against the 49ers that they had last week against the Seahawks in western Washington ...... that's asking a lot, but it's what they need.

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. 49ers, 12/22)



They're lucky that I'm even bothering to bump this thread.

o

[Oldcolt]

The defense played like a group that absolutely knew this team was cooked coming in. Fans can be made to believe anything, but the players already knew the season was toast and played with that kind of energy. I read almost nothing into this defense except what a shit season this turned into

[YDFL Commish]

The defense does this every year at the end of the season, when games mean something.

Either they are intimidated by the moment, or they are too concerned booking their January and February trips to Shangri-La.

[omahacolt]

The defense does this every year at the end of the season, when games mean something.

Either they are intimidated by the moment, or they are too concerned booking their January and February trips to Shangri-La.

absolutely


there is something wrong with that locker room and has been for years.

[Kray007]

The defense does this every year at the end of the season, when games mean something.

Either they are intimidated by the moment, or they are too concerned booking their January and February trips to Shangri-La.

Yesterday, they encountered the perfect storm. A battered D Line couldn’t hold up at the point vs McCafferty, the Linebackers couldn’t cover Kittle, and a depleted backfield forced Anarumo into playing zone. Add in the fact that they have two premier bookend Tackles who stymied the pass rush, and you have a recipe for disaster.

[YDFL Commish]

Yesterday, they encountered the perfect storm. A battered D Line couldn’t hold up at the point vs McCafferty, the Linebackers couldn’t cover Kittle, and a depleted backfield forced Anarumo into playing zone. Add in the fact that they have two premier bookend Tackles who stymied the pass rush, and you have a recipe for disaster.

That really doesn't dispute the fact that this defense, for the last several seasons, disappears at the end of the season, in games, where the Colts have a chance to make the playoffs.

[Kray007]

That really doesn't dispute the fact that this defense, for the last several seasons, disappears at the end of the season, in games, where the Colts have a chance to make the playoffs.

I would dispute that vehemently. Except for yesterday’s game, they haven’t been losing because the D suddenly stumbled.

They held Pittsburgh to 241 yards of total Offense, 38 on the ground. KC scored 23. Houston managed 20. The Seahawks got 18. They surrendered 36 to Jacksonville, but the Jags didn’t exactly move the ball at will. 17 of their points came on 3 drives that totaled 80 yards. 2 on a Safety.

[Oldcolt]

The whole fucking team disappears when it counts the last decade. Kray I am not sure if we have been watching the same team. This team has no real pass rush to stymie, yeah they get sacks but show inability to get pressure of any significant sort when games are on the line. It has been incredibly frustrating. Mediocre is what we are in all phases of the game. Mediocre that look great against crap teams and suck against good teams. Just like this year, last year the year before and so on.

[Kray007]

The whole fucking team disappears when it counts the last decade. Kray I am not sure if we have been watching the same team. This team has no real pass rush to stymie, yeah they get sacks but show inability to get pressure of any significant sort when games are on the line. It has been incredibly frustrating. Mediocre is what we are in all phases of the game. Mediocre that look great against crap teams and suck against good teams. Just like this year, last year the year before and so on.

Look, I understand the frustration. But this year isn’t like any of those other years. Last year and the year before that and the year before that, the collapse was inexplicable. This year‘s cause is plain, there is no mystery to it.

The whole next man up ethos is silly on the face of it. When Daniel Jones goes down, you’re not going to get the same performance out of Riley Leonard. No matter how much you wish it to be, Mekhi Blackmon, Jalen Jones, and Johnathan Edwards will never give you the same level of play as Charvarius Ward or Sauce Gardner. A healthy Deforest Buckner solidifies the interior defensive line and makes Laiatu Latu a better pass rusher.

The past few games have seen the Colts playing minus 4, 5, and 6 legitimate pro bowlers. Against San Francisco, they had a RT playing on the left side, a RG playing RT, and two scrubs manning Center and Guard.

That’s not to argue that the Colts front office has put together the perfect lineup. There are holes here and there. Defensive End opposite Latu is a weakness. The linebacker corps cries out for an upgrade, and age is beginning to creep in at a few spots.

My feeling, though, my sincerely help belief, is that this squad, had it remained healthy, would be sitting at 11-4. A healthy Colt team would be 4 point favorites over Jacksonville.

[ChaosTheory]

Mediocre that look great against crap teams and suck against good teams.

I really wish Jones didn't crack his leg and hamper the playbook right before the entire team got butchered with injuries. It will allow this narrative to persist well into next season.

Not to say they'd go undefeated or some ridiculous shit... If the defense plays like last night, anyone would beat us. 6 turnovers like against PIT, anyone would beat us.

But to say the team was mediocre prior to Jones' injury is nonsense.

-They played some weaker teams and crushed them about as bad as those teams have had it all year.

-They went toe-to-toe with an NFC favorite (maybe led most of the game?) on the road despite AD Mitchell and it took our 6th option at CB tripping on his own feet and giving up a freak 88yd TD with 90 seconds left.

-They beat the Broncos and Chargers who are a combined 24-7 and are the #3 and #4 defenses in the league. And the offense in particular lit both of them up - most yards given up by both teams, most points LAC has allowed, 3rd most DEN has allowed.

[Oldcolt]

I disagree with how some of you grade a teams year. You count the good games and make excuses for the bad ones. When I said we, once again, put forth a mediocre team I am looking at the entire season, not just a few good games when people had not figured us out. I understand injuries, I just have this weird idea that everyone has them and good teams find a way (just look at Philly winning when they lost their starting QB-it can be done) to win. When you are a .500 team year in and year out (give or take a game or two) you find ways to lose. I tend to agree with Bill Parcels, you are what your record says you are, mediocre (or average if you prefer). Spin it any way you want, the Colts will be home with their families for the playoffs again.

[Racehorse]

I disagree with how some of you grade a teams year. You count the good games and make excuses for the bad ones. When I said we, once again, put forth a mediocre team I am looking at the entire season, not just a few good games when people had not figured us out. I understand injuries, I just have this weird idea that everyone has them and good teams find a way (just look at Philly winning when they lost their starting QB-it can be done) to win. When you are a .500 team year in and year out (give or take a game or two) you find ways to lose. I tend to agree with Bill Parcels, you are what your record says you are, mediocre (or average if you prefer). Spin it any way you want, the Colts will be home with their families for the playoffs again.

The difference is not spin. It is facts. The facts are that injuries took what was a team on fire and poured a ton of water on it. Had our schedule been reversed, I think we would have won 11-12 games, because the easier games were when healthy, and when we got to the harder part, we had all our key positions outside offensive skill positions out.

[Oldcolt]

Ballard is the longest tenured non multi role (not an owner etc) GM in NFL history to have a losing record and not have multiple playoff wins or a conference championship appearance according to an article I read. It isn't this one year that has lost me. It is the past decade of this. I was in the corner of those who make excuses for Ballard until this year. It has just been to long of having the same front office and getting the same results with a different excuse each year. Injuries are not an excuse in the NFL:

49ers had Purdy, Kittle, Pearsall, Aiyuk, Warner, Bosa, and probably other players hurt for extended periods of time and theyre 11-4.

Chargers lost Slater and Alt, Hampton for a lot of time, Herbert has a broken hand, theyre 11-4.

Texans started 0-3 and lost Stroud for a period of time. They won all their games with Mills at QB. Now they’re 10-5.

I have been through many of these bad stretches as a Colt fan over the last 60 years of following them. Those stretches never ended without changes in the management of the team. I think it is time. Again it isn't just about this year. I hope for all of our sake I am wrong.

[Colts And Orioles]

The difference is not spin. It is facts. The facts are that injuries took what was a team on fire and poured a ton of water on it. Had our schedule been reversed, I think we would have won 11-12 games, because the easier games were when healthy, and when we got to the harder part, we had all our key positions outside offensive skill positions out.





o


Also, out of the Colts have 7 losses, I would say that 3 of those losses were bad games ...... the Steelers game, the Jaguars game, and the 49ers game ...... the other 4 losses were not bad games, they were losses to good teams that went right down to the wire.

Of the Colts' 8 wins, I would say that one of them was a bad game ..... I think that the Colts had a bad game against the Cardinals, even though they came out on the winning end.


So on the whole, I would say that the Colts have had 4 bad games so far this season ...... 1 of them was a win, and 3 of them were losses.

o

[ChoppedWood]

Ballard is the longest tenured non multi role (not an owner etc) GM in NFL history to have a losing record and not have multiple playoff wins or a conference championship appearance according to an article I read. It isn't this one year that has lost me. It is the past decade of this. I was in the corner of those who make excuses for Ballard until this year. It has just been to long of having the same front office and getting the same results with a different excuse each year. Injuries are not an excuse in the NFL:

49ers had Purdy, Kittle, Pearsall, Aiyuk, Warner, Bosa, and probably other players hurt for extended periods of time and theyre 11-4.

Chargers lost Slater and Alt, Hampton for a lot of time, Herbert has a broken hand, theyre 11-4.

Texans started 0-3 and lost Stroud for a period of time. They won all their games with Mills at QB. Now they’re 10-5.

I have been through many of these bad stretches as a Colt fan over the last 60 years of following them. Those stretches never ended without changes in the management of the team. I think it is time. Again it isn't just about this year. I hope for all of our sake I am wrong.

At some point, over an extended period of time, your record simply is what your record is. Ballard has a long track record, and there is no other way to look it than it being really shitty. He hasn't produced, simple as that. In every line of work- if you don't deliver acceptable results over a meaningful period of time, you are replaced. Chris Ballard needs to be replaced.

[Kray007]

At some point, over an extended period of time, your record simply is what your record is. Ballard has a long track record, and there is no other way to look it than it being really shitty. He hasn't produced, simple as that. In every line of work- if you don't deliver acceptable results over a meaningful period of time, you are replaced. Chris Ballard needs to be replaced.

If you have a noon deadline to get to Chicago, and about the time you get to Lafayette, the battery in your Tesla spontaneously bursts into flame, leaving you standing on the side of the road, toasting marshmallows; if you are, then, struck by a passing motorist, break both legs, and are airlifted back to the trauma center in Indy, is it your fault that you didn’t make it to Chicago?

[Oldcolt]

If you have a noon deadline to get to Chicago, and about the time you get to Lafayette, the battery in your Tesla spontaneously bursts into flame, leaving you standing on the side of the road, toasting marshmallows; if you are, then, struck by a passing motorist, break both legs, and are airlifted back to the trauma center in Indy, is it your fault that you didn’t make it to Chicago?

If it happens 10 years in a row maybe you shouldn't be going to Chicago

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. JAGUARS, 12/28)



Fumble Recovery


TD


PUNT


INT


PUNT


TD


FG


Turnover on Downs


FG l (Off of a Colts Turnover Deep in Their Own Territory)


FG

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. TEXANS, 1/04)



FG


FG


TD


TD l (Off of a Colts Turnover Deep in Their Own Territory)


PUNT


FG


PUNT


FG


PUNT


FG l (Off of a Colts Turnover Deep in Their Own Territory)


FG

o

[ChoppedWood]

The Colts Defense, 2025 season----- SUCKED!

Fire them all!