Colts 3

From Gosselin today. Can you imagine how great it would be to have a stable front office with a never-wavering philosophy on how to draft, how to coach, how to game plan, etc.? Read below. Gosselin obviously admires the Colt organization tremendously....

The shutdown cornerback no longer exists in today's NFL.

The rules don't allow cornerbacks to get close enough to the receivers to shut anyone down any more. Defenders are allowed only one contact with a receiver and it must come within five yards of the line of scrimmage.

Even the best corners — the Champ Baileys, Charles Woodsons and Asante Samuels — allow completions and the occasional touchdown. When NFL-caliber receivers are allowed to run free, they are going to create space.


Even the best corners like Denver's Champ Bailey allow completions and the occasional touchdown because of receiver rules.

The Indianapolis Colts have long been ahead of the curve in their approach to pass defense. Playing the Cover Two scheme that Tony Dungy brought with him from Tampa Bay in 2002, the Colts give up yardage. They rank 20th in the NFL in pass defense this season.

But the premise of the Cover Two is to deny the big play. Do not allow receivers behind you. Keep the ball in front of you. So offenses can complete passes as the Colts sit in their zone coverages. Quarterbacks have a completion percentage of 64.3 against Indianapolis this season.

Cornerbacks are evaluated by the NFL based on coverage ability. But the Colts also place a premium on tackling ability. They want cornerbacks who can close on the ball, attack the receiver and deliver him to the turf.

That's the reason Indianapolis drafted Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden. Both have size and a willingness to strike. Jackson goes 6-0, 196 and Hayden 6-0, 195.

The Colts also looked beyond the lack of size of Jerraud Powers (5-9, 188) last April, taking him in the third round in part because he was stout in run support at Auburn. Powers fit the Colts profile at cornerback.

So did Jacob Lacey, whom Indianapolis signed as a college free agent after the draft. He had 186 career tackles at Oklahoma State despite playing at a wispy 177 pounds.

Brandon Marshall caught an NFL record 21 passes against the Colts last Sunday for 200 yards — but he averaged less than 10 yards per catch. Thirteen of his catches covered fewer than 10 yards and seven went for five yards or less.

When Marshall caught a pass Sunday, he was tackled. There were no big plays to be had — no turning a seven-yard catch upfield into a 70-yard touchdown. That's why the Colts were able to withstand Marshall's onslaught and claim a 28-16 victory over the Broncos.

Indianapolis also limited Pro Bowl wideouts Larry Fitzgerald to 10.9 yards on nine catches and Andre Johnson to 10.3 on 10 catches this season. That's how the Colts play pass defense — if you catch it, they will tackle you. The play ends at the reception.

"Tackling is important," Colts general manager Bill Polian said of his defensive backfield, "and we're pretty good at it."

Jackson has been on injured reserve since October and Hayden has missed seven games this season with a knee injury. Despite the extended absences of their two starting corners, the Colts are still allowing an average of only 6.3 yards per pass attempt — fifth best in the NFL. Lacey leads all NFL cornerbacks with 69 tackles and Powers also ranks in the Top 10 with 66.

The Colts also have allowed only 13 touchdown passes this season, third fewest in the league. Good pass coverage goes a long way in the NFL. So does good tackling.

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