Colts Defensive Coordinator, Gus Bradley, Details Fundamental Breakdowns Against Jacksonville Jaguars

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INDIANAPOLIS — Gus Bradley’s defensive philosophy always centered on execution, with a focus on simplicity to enhance performance.

Last weekend’s defensive breakdown in Jacksonville was more concerning. The Colts’ defense struggled to find any lasting solution to slow down the Jaguars’ offense.

“If you look at the explosive plays, there was one in single-high, one in split-safety, one in pressure and one in man coverage,” Bradley said.

Indianapolis struggled against Jacksonville, unable to pressure Trevor Lawrence, defend short passes over the middle, stop big plays, or even contain the run game. The issues were as much about basic execution as they were about strategy, leading to heavy criticism and calls for defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s firing from local fans.

However, Bradley focused on the internal lessons from the loss rather than worrying about how it might affect his own job security.

“That’s the disappointment,” Bradley said. “We had an opportunity to win a game, and we didn’t pull our end of the bargain.”

The Colts couldn’t stop Jacksonville. They disrupted the Jaguars’ offensive rhythm from the first four weeks, knowing Trevor Lawrence had been taking more deep shots than ever, averaging 10.6 yards per attempt.

The Colts knew about the threats from rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and the speedy veteran Gabe Davis. Head coach Shane Steichen is all about minimizing big plays, but Jacksonville quickly capitalized on every opportunity.

“There were times where we said, ‘Let’s get coverage, double outside guys and make sure they didn’t get any explosive plays,’” Bradley said. “When you do that, you get zone drops, and you get some space. They hit the checkdown.”

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