The Indianapolis Colts are making significant changes on the defensive side of the ball after a disappointing 2024 campaign. On Monday, the team announced they have “parted ways” with veteran defensive coordinator Gus Bradley following a season in which his unit showed substantial regression.
Bradley, the former head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars who also coordinated the famed “Legion of Boom” defenses in Seattle, joined the Colts in 2022. He managed to survive the mid-season firing of then-head coach Frank Reich later that year and was initially retained heading into 2024. However, further slippage by the defense this past season sealed his fate.
Colts Defense Plummets in Key Metrics
Under Bradley’s watch, the Indianapolis defense never ranked higher than 24th in the NFL in points allowed throughout the 2024 regular season. Even more concerning was the massive drop-off in yards surrendered, as the Colts fell from a respectable 15th in Bradley’s first year to an abysmal 29th in 2024, giving up a generous 361.2 yards per game.
This defensive ineptitude was a key factor in the team’s mediocre 8-9 record, which extended their playoff drought to four consecutive seasons. In discussing the decision to move on from Bradley, head coach Shane Steichen didn’t mince words:
“I’m appreciative of Gus and the commitment he made to the Colts… but I felt like we needed to move in a different direction. I wish Gus and his family all the best moving forward.”
– Shane Steichen, Indianapolis Colts Head Coach
Big Plays and Bad Tackling Plague Indy
When drilling down on the specifics behind the Colts’ defensive woes, two issues were repeatedly highlighted by Coach Steichen: a propensity for allowing explosive plays and generally poor tackling.
The numbers back up those observations in striking fashion. Indianapolis surrendered a whopping 115 explosive plays in 2024, defined as runs of 10+ yards and passes of 20+ yards. That dubious tally tied them for the 6th-most in the NFL, an incredible failure for a scheme largely predicated on preventing big gains.
Steichen was blunt in his assessment, admitting that despite the defense’s admirable effort, results are what matter in this league:
“I think the biggest thing was tackling this year. That’s something that obviously must improve going forward. Obviously, we gave up some big plays that we can’t have happen, but I will say that those guys fought like crazy over there on defense.”
– Shane Steichen
Expensive D-Line Comes Up Short
Perhaps most damning of all for the ousted Bradley was the massive decline in production from the Colts’ vaunted defensive line. Indianapolis led the entire NFL in cash spending on their D-line in 2024, but the return on that weighty investment was unquestionably poor.
The Colts’ sack total fell from 51 in 2023 to just 36 this past season, while their pressure rate plummeted from 38.9% of opposing dropbacks to a paltry 31.5%. Those drops are even more discouraging considering the premium draft capital and financial resources dedicated to the front four.
“Since I’ve been a Colt, it’s been our worst year defensively for sure. I feel like, at times, it just felt like we were just a bunch of individuals out there — and it looked like it.”
– DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis Colts Defensive Tackle
Colts at a Crossroads on Defense
Indianapolis now faces a defensive identity crisis with Bradley’s departure. GM Chris Ballard, who was given a vote of confidence along with Coach Steichen, has long preferred 4-man fronts with zone-heavy coverages and minimal blitzing.
That philosophical approach has produced success in the past, but the 2024 downturn raises serious questions about its long-term sustainability. With their top defensive mind now gone and a roster still largely built in his image, the Colts have critical decisions to make about the unit’s future direction.
Whoever takes the reins from Bradley will be under immense pressure to quickly revive a defense that’s too expensive and too talented to be among the league’s worst. How they attempt to do so – by doubling down on the existing system or ushering in schematic changes – will go a long way in determining whether Indy’s defense can rebound and once again become a difference-making force.
