Colts' Lou Anarumo Bringing Change to Defense in Preseason

The football world is currently captivated by the Indianapolis Colts' quarterback decision, but there are still 51 other players left on this roster to worry about. My main focus through two preseason games hasn't been the offense, but rather the new defense under defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

Anarumo has been nicknamed "The Mad Scientist" in the past for his usage of diverse and unique coverage schemes. The Colts' defense last year was the polar opposite of that description, opting to sit back in stagnant cover-three and quarters zones to simplify the game. Anarumo will be anything but simple this year, and he has shown that different mindset thus far in the preseason.

In just two preseason games, we have seen Anarumo call a handful of blitzes, mix in way more man coverage than we have seen in Indianapolis in the past 20 years, and even add new wrinkles to existing coverages that were prevalent under Bradley. So far, albeit in just the preseason, the Colts' pass defense looks fresh, smart, and fast.

With the caveat that the Colts have only played against backup quarterbacks this preseason, Anarumo's defense has held opposing passers to a 42% completion percentage and an abysmal 43.01 passer rating. Malik Willis, a backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers who beat the Colts' starting defense last season, completed just six of 14 passes last Saturday.

Preseason stats hardly matter, but I think that the film does back up why we are seeing these reserve quarterbacks struggle. The Colts are mixing in some aggressive man coverage looks and suffocating the sticks on third downs. This is a welcomed change to the passive style deployed by Bradley, and presumably a big reason why Anarumo was hired in the first place.

Today, I dove into five clips from the preseason that highlight what I'm excited about with this defense. The communication and coverage calls are fun, and I think that these players are going to make life difficult for opposing passers in 2025. For fans who have been tired of passive, bend-don't-break defense, this video may seem like a breath of fresh air.

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