Colts focused on fixing run defense entering 2015 season
The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the most active teams during free agency, and it's clear management has been focused on particular weakness.
Indianapolis's run defense ranked in the lower half of the NFL by every available metric last season, and the team was stomped by a potent New England Patriots' rushing attack in a 45-7 defeat during January's AFC Championship Game.
In free agency, the Colts added outside linebacker Trent Cole and defensive tackle Kendall Langford to bolster its relatively weak front seven.
With the draft less than a month away, Indianapolis is focusing on fixing its run defense in hopes of catching the Patriots for AFC supremacy.
"It's concerning, obviously, when you (allow) 657 yards in three games (against New England)," Colts owner Jim Irsay said to the Indianapolis Star's Stephen Holder. "You have 219 yards a game against you on the ground and that doesn't bode well. I think it's something (coach) Chuck (Pagano) wants to fix and the defense wants to fix because ... the first thing we talked about is, hey, the first thing we do is stop the run and then we get after the passer."
Indianapolis surrendered an average of 113.4 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground last season, figures that must improve if they're to knock off the defending champion Patriots.
"It's our Achilles heel right now," Colts head coach Chuck Pagano said. "We either get it fixed or it will be somebody else getting it fixed."
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson alluded to Irsay giving the team a mandate to fix its run defense after their post-season exit.
"We have to get stronger up the middle," Grigson said. "We have to do a better job as a whole - collectively, myself and the personnel, adjusting the schemes, adapting. Our mandate from our owner down is to be able to stop the run in January and make the adaptations during the game to stop the bleeding. Then we have to have players because those coaches can't go out there and play for the guys."
The Colts have some work to do in fixing their most glaring weakness. If it gets addressed sufficiently throughout the draft and Cole and Langford meet expectations, the AFC South winners will be a strong contender for Super Bowl glory.