New Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo thinks it’s not always possible to outplay the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Sometimes, you need to use different strategies, like tricking them.
“Going through the playoffs and things like that and to the Super Bowl, you have to keep those great quarterbacks off balance,” he said during his introductory news conference last week. “I think you have to make them uncomfortable. Even the best ones, at times, you’re not going to fool them all day. But if it’s in the most critical situation, that’s what you’re hoping to do.
“And, certainly, we’ve had some success doing that.” After a tough 8-9 season, the Colts have promised to change their approach this offseason. Anarumo’s plans for the defense may represent one of the biggest changes the team has seen in a while.
The Colts are shifting from a predictable and steady defense under recently fired defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to a more unpredictable defense under Anarumo.
When Colts general manager Chris Ballard was asked if there was value in a more aggressive defense, he, who has been a supporter of simpler, zone-heavy schemes, seemed open to change.
“I definitely think there is value,” he said. “You have to be able to affect the quarterback.”
While Bradley typically used a few zone coverages, Anarumo prefers to mix things up. In 2024, the Colts played zone coverages on 67.9% of opposing quarterback dropbacks, which was the third-highest in the league. They played man coverages on only 31.8% of dropbacks.
On the other hand, the Bengals under Anarumo used a wider variety of coverages, making their defense harder to predict. Cincinnati played zone on 56.7% of dropbacks and man on 43.3%.
This is an example of Anarumo’s belief that letting quarterbacks figure out your defense ahead of time is a bad idea.
“I think you have to be flexible these days and [be] multiple,” he said. “When you’re playing the quarterbacks, especially on our side in the AFC — going against Joe [Burrow] every day in practice, trying to guard Tee [Higgins] and Ja’Marr [Chase], guys like that — it lends to not just, ‘Hey, you’re going to be in this coverage. You’re going to stay in that.’
“It’d be a long day.”
Anarumo has a different approach
Another key difference with Anarumo’s approach is his history of adjusting his defense based on the opponent. He showed this in the AFC Championship Game against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 season, helping the Bengals beat the defending conference champions. Mahomes was sacked four times and threw two interceptions.
Anarumo gave the example of facing the Baltimore Ravens, saying he prefers to create a specific game plan based on what the opponent does well and focusing on how to stop their best players, instead of sticking to the same approach every week.
“You’re going to identify what the team does well,” Anarumo said. “Identify who the problem players are. Where’s the great receiver and what do we have to do to slow him down? Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, guys like that we had to play twice a year, they present multiple problems along with Zay Flowers and guys like that.
So, whoever or whatever the issues are, you want to put it in front of the guys and say, ‘OK, if we can take these guys away or minimize their damage in the game, we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win.'”
No matter how he goes about it, Anarumo needs to do better than he did in Cincinnati next season. The Bengals let him go after six seasons, with some successful moments but a disappointing finish. The Bengals finished the season ranked 25th in points allowed (25.5) and yards allowed per game (348.3).
Can Anarumo find success in Indianapolis with his new approach? The Colts are hoping that the lessons he learned in Cincinnati will help him in his new role.
“You learn from those things,” he said. “And on to the next.”
