CBS Sports rips Colts, Gus Bradley's defense against Jaguars

The Indianapolis Colts (2-3) lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) in week five after scoring 34 points on the road. CBS Sports gave the NFL the grades for the games before Monday Night Football and hurt Indy's defensive performance, although he earned a B-.

The problem for the Colts, however, is that their defense couldn't stop the big play. The Jags had THREE plays in the game that went for 60 yards or more, and when you give up that many home runs in the NFL, you're going to lose.

– John Breech | CBS Sports

CBS Sports“John Breech is 100% right, giving up as many plays as Gus Bradley's defense did against Trevor Lawrence means defeat almost every time.” Indianapolis scored an impressive 34 points and Joe Flacco carried Shane Steichen's attack, but it was enough not enough to compensate for the incompetence of the defense.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss any more news and analysis! Take a second and Sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

On this day, Doug Pederson's team totaled 497 yards (371 passing, 126 rushing). Additionally, Lawrence set a career-high for passing yards in a single game, proving that Bradley's defensive system can be torn apart by the quarterback who arguably has the most trouble with any passer in Week 5.

Indianapolis had the most trouble dealing with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and running back Tank Bigsby. Rookie pass catcher Thomas caught 5 balls for 122 receiving yards (24.4 average) and a score of 85 yards. Bigsby ran for the Colts, catching 13 carries for 101 yards (7.8 average) and 2 touchdowns. Bigsby also secured his only target for 28 yards. The rest of Jacksonville's players aren't taken into account here, but just those two accounted for 251 all-purpose yards, reducing Indy's chances of breaking the momentum. It's also fair to note that the defense missed several tackles from notable players like linebacker EJ Speed ​​and safety Julian Blackmon, so Bradley isn't entirely to blame.

The Colts have a lot of questions to answer about their defense in just five games in 2024. They have increasing injuries and can't seem to get rid of the web of inconsistency. Bradley's status as Indianapolis' defensive coordinator is the most important story to watch. If the Colts decide to keep the veteran for now, he likely won't have many more chances to shine. With a record of 0-2 in the AFC South, the Colts will look to pick up their first division win against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Keep following Horseshoe Huddle Facebook And X; Subscribe to YouTube for multiple Colts live stream podcasts per week.