INDIANAPOLIS – That wake-up call was answered by Matt Eberflus and the Colts defense on Sunday.
After another disappointing performance by that unit to open up the 2020 season, Eberflus and company delivered in Week Two with necessary adjustments, leading to a total change in the amount of playmaking we saw from that group.
The Colts completely stymied the Vikings defense, setting the tone for a convincing home opening win.
“I don’t know if you can play much better defensively,” Frank Reich said after his defense allowed just 11 points and produced three turnovers in the 28-11 victory over the Vikings. “That was an explosive offense and we were good for 60 minutes. You could feel it for the whole game, you could feel the pressure we were putting on them. We stopped the run, we got turnovers, we made the statement we wanted to make defensively. I can’t say enough about how they played and how the defensive staff coached it.”
In so many areas, the Colts defense was dominant on Sunday.
It started from the opening series, with the Colts clearly altering their approach from a coverage standpoint. Defensive backs lined up closer to the line of scrimmage, making things much more difficult for Kirk Cousins to find an early passing rhythm. Completions were tough to come by for the Vikings. Balls were much more routinely contested. It led to the Colts in full control of field position, and the game.
Sunday was a perfect example of what happens when you disrupt timing, challenge pass catchers and force difficult throws early. It clearly led to a more rattled Cousins, and you saw some errant throws as the game moved along.
Cousins was an ugly 11-of-26 for 113 yards, 3 interceptions and a putrid passer rating of 15.9 (lowest in 95 career starts).
Of the 10 Minnesota drives, only 6 produced a first down.
Minnesota’s average drive start was the 20-yard line. The Colts had an average drive start of the 45-yard line.
Just one week after forcing a single incompletion in the entire game, the Colts had an astonishing 9 passes defensed on Sunday—a single box score note that tells just how different the pass defense approach was in Week Two.
The Colts were hardly even close to taking the ball away against the Jaguars. They flipped that script against the Vikings, hauling in three interceptions and getting their hands on many other balls.
Vikings Pro Bowlers Dalvin Cook (4.5 yards per carry) and Adam Thielen (no catches after the opening drive in 5 targets) were largely taken away.
“I thought Flus and his defensive staff did a good job overall of scheming to stop their run game,” Reich said afterward. “We know the Vikings have one of the best run games in the NFL. Credit to Flus and his staff, it wasn’t (just tighter coverage), it was (multiple) things and scheme is really only a minor part of that. Players played disciplined, they played aggressive, we did everything on defense as a unit that we needed to do to stop an explosive run game.”
With players in a better position to make plays from the onset, the Colts defensive stars delivered early and often.
It was Darius Leonard with a tackle for loss and pass defensed. It was Kenny Moore with 2 passes defensed and an interception. It was DeForest Buckner looking like an All-Pro with 4 quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and a safety.
That season opener last week was an unquestioned wake-up call.
And the Colts responded to that, in a way that teams who want to play meaningful football in January should.
“We were talking about it all year, understanding the standards we have for this defense,” Buckner said after Sunday’s win. “We have to make sure we uphold those standards as a unit. Today was just a little taste of what we can do moving forward. We have to continue to build off of it.”
