Under new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, you can expect to see a more blitz-heavy Indianapolis Colts’ defense.
Blitzing was never a staple of Gus Bradley’s defensive scheme. During his three seasons as the Colts’ defensive play caller, the Indianapolis defense ranked 28th or lower in blitz rate each year.
The Bengals’ defense under Anarumo did blitz more than Bradley’s Colts did, although ‘more’ is a relative term, with Cincinnati ranking 21st in blitz rate this past season. Generally speaking, the Bengals were around the middle of the pack in blitz rate during his tenure.
But what’s noteworthy about Amarumo’s defense is that there will not only be more blitzes compared to what the Colts had done previously, but does varies where those blitzes come from and how many defenders he sends.
According to the Colts’ team site, the Bengals under Anarumo ranked 8th in simulated pressure rate, 30th in 5-man pressure rate, 4th in six-man pressure rate, and 7th in 7-man pressure rate.
Of course, when blitzing the name of the game is to get home and force a sack or pressure the quarterback. But by varying how many defenders are sent and disguising where those pressures are coming from, that can increase the odds of generating a pressure, not to mention the added chaos that can be caused before that point for the quarterback.
This past season, we saw the Colts’ pass rush take a step back production-wise. Relying heavily on their four-man front to drum up the disruption, Indianapolis would rank 26th in sacks and 22nd in pressure rate.
Without steady pressure on the quarterback, the job of every defender on the field becomes more difficult when there’s time and a clean pocket to throw from.
