How Gus Bradley stole Colts fan's Christmas

For the 2nd time in three weeks, the Colts were dominated by a backup QB. In Week 14, it was Jake Browning and the Cincinnati Bengals; this week, it was Taylor Heinicke and the Atlanta Falcons. Heinicke looked comfortable throughout the game as he completed nearly 70% of his throws and was only sacked once on the day. From the opening drive, the Falcons made it known who the more physical team would be today. They made quick work of the Colts defense for an opening drive touchdown and never looked back. 

When your team is dominated like the Colts were in Week 16, it is sometimes hard to figure out who deserves the grunt of the blame: the players or the coaches. But a quick way to tell is whether or not a coach is willing to make adjustments when things aren't going well. Bradley's unwillingness to blitz is very apparent. And while the Colts have been able to create pressure with four, when it isn't working, something has to be done. Too often this year, the Colts lack of pressure gives QBs enough time to pick apart the soft zone coverages often used by Bradley. 

What makes it worse is how effective the Colts have been when they do decide to blitz. The time has come for the Colts to fire Gus Bradley and begin to look for a new voice and scheme to fit the modern-day NFL better. The Colts have plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball, and in my opinion, they are being held back by the scheme and leader of their unit.

A defensive scheme that can match the aggressiveness of head coach  Shane Steichen would be a match made in heaven. With how important the passing game has become in today's NFL, a conservative defense up front and on the back end just isn't going to cut it anymore. Bradley's style of defense is outdated, and the Colts can either move on or be left in the past with it.