• The key to this defense is the edge rush, led by defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, and in the past the Colts could move these guys around to find good matchups. The Colts are replacing Raheem Brock with first-round draft pick Jerry Hughes (TCU); Hughes mostly plays end and Brock had the ability to play inside, so there’s a loss of personnel flexibility there. The Colts have gotten bigger and more physical inside with a nice defensive tackle rotation, and while it has improved their run defense, they don’t get much of a pass rush from the tackles. Remember the mentality of this defense is, as mentioned earlier, “We play the run on our way to the QB.” That pass rush is the key to everything that the Colts do; all of their drills and techniques under DL coach John Teerlinck are designed to get off the ball quickly and beat the guy across from them with the first step.
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