The Culprit for Colts' League-Worst Pressure Rate

The Indianapolis Colts have the worst pressure rate in the NFL this season, sitting at just 29.6%, according to Sumer Sports. While that number itself is troubling, the reasoning behind it is just as concerning.

To start off, the personnel on the edge has always been a concern. Laiatu Latu is a fine player at strong-side defensive end, but his ceiling appears to be tapped as an above-average role player rather than the superstar that GM Chris Ballard wanted him to be.

Latu currently has a pass-rush win rate of 7.2% (per Sumer Sports), ranking 89th among 99 edge rushers with at least 100 rush snaps. 

Former second-round pick Jaylahn Tuimoloau hasn’t fared much better, with a 7.8% pass rush win rate, ranking 85th of 99 qualified edge rushers. The only slightly positive player in that metric has been Arden Key, ranking 56th with a 10.8% pass rush win rate, but he is currently on Injured Reserve for at least the next couple of weeks. 

DeForest Buckner and Adetomiwa Adebawore have eased some of that pain on the edge, but the Colts simply haven’t gotten enough production from their edge rushers on passing plays. They have struggled to win their matchups, and even when they do, they aren’t finishing with sacks. The group in total has just 1.5 sacks through five games this season. 

The personnel has made it difficult for the Colts to generate pressure, but Lou Anarumo isn’t doing much to address it. The Colts currently have the third-lowest blitz rate in the NFL at just 20.4%. Even more impressive, they rush just three players at the highest rate in the NFL, at a whopping 7.5%. So the Colts have substandard personnel to pressure opposing quarterbacks without blitzing, and they don’t send many blitzes. 

Blitz rate isn’t everything in the NFL, and there is always the debate of whether it’s better to be a bend-but-don’t-break defense or one that wants to create havoc. If the Colts were just dropping eight defenders and preventing explosives, then that could be excusable. The issue is that they aren’t preventing big plays, as they rank 22nd in explosive plays allowed and have allowed 16 pass plays of 20-plus yards in five games. 

So the defense is essentially a bend-and-break style that doesn’t hurry up the processing of opposing quarterbacks. Factor in major communication gaffes each week, and you get one of the worst defenses in the NFL to start the 2026 season.

Eventually, something has to give with this Colts’ defense. They can’t continue this low blitz rate while showing an inability to impact quarterbacks with a three- or four-man rush. Either the Colts start getting creative and throw some blitzes at the opposition, or teams will keep gashing them for massive gains and point totals. 

At some point, enough has to be enough for this defensive coaching staff. Changes need to be made to the way they approach opposing offenses, or soon enough, changes will be made to the staff actually calling this defense.