3 keys to Washington Commanders getting a victory against the Colts
The Washington Commanders are seeking to increase their win streak to 3 in a row in opposition to the Indianapolis Colts. Here are 3 keys to Washington securing a victory, offered with the aid of using KIA.
- How can the offense discover fulfillment at the floor in opposition to the Colts` protective front?
Logan: The Colt’s protection in 2022 is helmed with the aid of using Gus Bradley, who hails from the Pete Carrol Seattle protective tree. Since the “Legion of Boom,” the Cover three, eight-guy container of that Seattle protection has disseminated at some point of the NFL. Over that identical time frame, the league has tailored to this style, making the protective shape much less and much less powerful.
Coordinators like Dan Quinn, who’ve historically promoted the Seattle Cover three, have due to the fact moved farfar from this. Bradley, however, has held rapid to his roots. As a result, the Commanders will see a variety of Cover three and 8 defenders withinside the container on first and 2d down.
This might be a bonus for Washington due to the fact Scott Turner and Taylor Heinicke will recognize the home windows and spacing in those coverages, main to one of the maximum vital factors of walking the soccer: changing 2d and 0.33 downs.
This is crucial as it supply the Commanders extra possibilities to own the protection and with the aid of using extension, run the soccer. Washington become capable of run the soccer 36 instances closing week in huge component due to the fact that they’d one of these excessive play volume.
With that technicality out of the manner, what does it seem like whilst Washington is walking the ball in opposition to the Colts? The intention of Bradley’s protection is to have one extra defender than you could block and make certain that each defender has one gap.
The Colts do a wonderful process of executing this philosophy. Linebackers Bobby Okereke and Zaire Franklin actually fly to the soccer. Three method DeForest Buckner continually makes performs outdoor the hashes the usage of his first rate athleticism to music down ball carries. Rodney McLeod, the Colt’s model of Kam Chancellor, is lots smaller than Chancellor however is competitive to in shape runs and an amazing tackler. In my estimation, they may be the nearest any crew has come, outdoor the 2017 Jaguars, to emulating what Seattle had with the “Legion of Boom.”
They’re an amazing protection and feature performed that manner outdoor of 1 sport withinside the 2022 season. So, the query remains, “How does Washington run the soccer in this protection designed to forestall the run?”
Motion and hard the protection’s policies is usually an option. However, whilst a protection is as easy as Indianapolis, the errors and ignored assignments are few and some distance among. I suppose the solution is less difficult and extra brutal than that. Washington should run the ball proper on the Colts’ protective front.
Buckner is an notable player, however he’s tall, lengthy and light. As I already mentioned, he is wonderful on outdoor runs, however while you run at him, he struggles to preserve his pads low in opposition to double teams. This creates tender spots withinside the protection in which the lower back can press and cram the ball for a 3- to five-backyard gain. Couple this with Yannick Ngakoue, one of the worst run defenders withinside the NFL, and this creates a fit up Washington can take benefit of.
Zach: The Commanders observed a triumphing method at the floor with Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson, who mixed for 132 speeding yards in opposition to the Packers.
While the Colts are twenty second in opposition to the run, permitting 123.four yards in line with sport, do now no longer anticipate Washington to discover lots room among the tackles. Indianapolis’ protective tackles very stout in opposition to Derrick Henry, who did rush for 128 yards however won maximum of his yards attacking the edge.
Instead, Washington will want to select out its spots carefully. As Logan mentioned, Ngakoue struggles in opposition to the run, and Buckner isn’t as powerful whilst he can’t use his athleticism to chase down ball carriers. Both Gibson and Robinson confirmed they are able to perform nicely in space, so there may be a few possibilities for each at the perimeter.
