INDIANAPOLIS – It was a season that had the Colts tying their most wins in a season since 2009.
Still, the Colts needed help to get into the postseason, with a 7-6 record in the AFC contributing to their No. 7 seed. The Wild Card berth led to a matchup with the No. 2 seed Bills, with the Colts falling 27-24.
Let’s hand out some grades for the 2020 Colts:
Rushing Offense: B+
What a difference the second half of the season made for the rush offense. The Colts finished the season ranked 11th in rushing yards per game (124.8) and 14th in yards per carry (4.35). While this is a slight step back from last season, the group did deal with far more injuries. Jonathan Taylor was a stud in the final month and a half of the season, giving the rushing offense every week consistency that is so hard to achieve in today’s NFL.
Passing Offense: B
In 2019, the only positive from the Colts passing offense was that they protected the ball well. In 2020, the quarterback position actually committed fewer turnovers, while still improving the needed areas—efficiency and chunk plays. What held the passing offense back though was the lack of success, and a rather big drop, in third down (22nd) and red zone (17th) success. After a season without many drops, the half dozen or so the Colts had in their playoff loss also knocked this grade down just a bit.
Rushing Defense: A+
On the top of the Matt Eberflus’ resume should be how stout his defense has been in stopping the run over the years. The Colts have had the following run D rankings under Eberflus in yards allowed per game: 8th, 7th, 2nd. And in yards per carry: 6th, 12th, 2nd. This used to be a major concern for the Colts, but not under Eberflus. In 2020, the Colts allowed 90.5 rushing yards per game (2nd) and 3.71 yards per carry (2nd). Of course, the development of Grover Stewart and the arrival of DeForest Buckner helped this strength get even stronger.
Pass Defense: D
This grade dropped majorly as the season went along. The Colts finished the year 20th in pass defense and 11th in sacks per pass attempt. But when the schedule stiffened in November and December, this part of the defense struggled big time. What makes this grade low comes from the fact that you were so darn good against the run, which should only help out your pass rush and put your pass defense in favorable situations. Instead though, the Colts didn’t find consistent pressure late in the season and let several quarterbacks get into great rhythms. The step back from Rock Ya-Sin in his second NFL season didn’t help either.
Special Teams: A-
The Colts did a tremendous job in controlling field position throughout the 2020 season. From a placekicking standpoint, Rodrigo Blankenship gave them a much steadier presence. Rigoberto Sanchez continued to be a weapon. Coverage units, led by All-Pro George Odum, were sound. And returners Nyheim Hines and Isaiah Rodgers had some nice moments. Why this grade isn’t an ‘A’ comes down to Hot Rod missing two sub 35-yard field goals in two losses (Week 1 against Jacksonville, Wild Card against Buffalo) and the rookie going just 1-of-4 on attempts of longer than 45 yards.
Roster Evaluation: B
When you have 6 All-Pros (tied for the most in the NFL), your roster has some definite talent. And the Colts upgraded their roster in 2020 with the addition of DeForest Buckner, Xavier Rhodes, Philip Rivers and three significant rookie contributors (Michael Pittman, Jonathan Taylor, Julian Blackmon). The main knock here comes from the Colts not having enough edge rushing talent and the lack of component offensive tackle depth in 2020. Chris Ballard has not drafted well on the defensive line and that showed up, particularly out on the edge, this past season. Not having enough adequate depth at offensive tackle cost the Colts late in the season.
Coaching: B-
For the third straight season, the Colts maintained continuity across their head coach and coordinator spots. And several of those units took key strides in 2020. Offensively, the Colts resurrected their passing offense, although the situational football took a surprising step back. Defensively, the Colts saw an uptick in their timely playmaking and continued to be a stout run defense, but the pass D struggled when facing better offenses. The special teams group was easily the most consistent aspect to this team in 2020. Some development of younger guys and readiness from rookies was there. It’s the poor third-down, red-zone effort in 2020, and the continued issues in defending the pass that brings this grade down to the B- level. So much of those specific situations comes down to coaching and scheme.
Overall: B-
Winning 11 games in a season is certainly something that is not easy to achieve, especially when it ties the most wins for this franchise since 2009. But I can’t call this season a complete success without winning the division and/or a playoff game. The Colts did play the easiest schedule in the NFL, so that aided them in getting to 11 wins. Not winning for the AFC South for a 6th straight season marks the longest divisional drought for the franchise since the mid-to-late 1990s. The other three AFC South teams have won the division since the Colts last did. When you make the ‘win now’ moves the Colts made last offseason (signing Philip Rivers to a 1-year deal, trading the 13th overall pick for an established All-Pro), the expectation should be to at least win a game in the postseason (a la Tampa Bay from this year in the NFC Championship) or have a home playoff game. It was a good season, but not ‘really good’ or ‘great.’
