The Indianapolis Colts run defense against the Chicago Bears rushing offense. Someone has to win this matchup–right?
By now we are all well-versed in the Colts’ run defense woes, with the team having surrendered 474 rushing yards, and allowing their opponents to average 5.1 yards per rush, with the 12 rushes of 10-plus yards that they’ve allowed being the most in football.
On the flip side, through two games, the Bears rushing offense has really struggled to get going. Behind up-and-down offensive line play, the Bears are averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, which ranks 29th in the NFL, and their 77.5 rush yards per game is the fifth-worst.
D’Andre Swift has been their primary ball carrier, but he is averaging only just 2.0 yards per attempt. Khalil Herbert has just seven yards on four carries.
One would like to think that this game could be a turning point for the Colts’ run defense, but we haven’t seen anything from that unit to suggest that might be the case. I’m sure the Bears’ offense is thinking the same thing.
Whichever team can gain the upper hand in this matchup may end up having the upper hand in the game overall.
For the Colts, being able to slow the Bears run game will put added stress on a passing game that has also struggled to get going as well. Caleb Williams has completed only 56 percent of his throws and is averaging only 4.0 yards per pass, which ranks 32nd.
In addition to that, the Colts pass rush will have the opportunity to pin its ears back in those obvious passing situations, and do so against a Bears’ line that has surrendered the ninth-most pressures and the second-most sacks.
Of course, everything I just described is a lot easier said than done, and up to this point, we haven’t seen the Colts be able to stop the run consistently in either game. Doing so has also become much more difficult with DeForest Buckner on injured reserve and Laiatu Latu’s status for Sunday up in the air after he hasn’t practiced for two days.
There isn’t any one answer when it comes to fixing the Colts run defense–every coach and every player has to be better, as defensive coordinator Gus Bradley discussed earlier in the week.
If the Colts are unable to find some sort of success this week against the run, I think it’ll be fair to wonder if they will at all this season.
