No surprise here, but the Indianapolis Colts were among the worst tackling teams in the 2024 NFL season.
NFL Next Gen Stats graded each team’s tackling ability, taking into account their tackling efficiency and the number of yards lost to missed tackles, and handed out letter grades like on a report card.
The Colts received a ‘D’ with a 65.0 out of 100 score. This ranked 29th out of the 32 NFL teams.
NFL Next Gen Stats noted that the Colts were the only team with four players to record 100-plus tackles, but obviously, the efficiency wasn’t there.
“The Colts allowed a league-high 1,183 yards after missed tackles and recorded 10 or more missed tackles in all but six games, posting a missed tackle rate below 10% just once.”
In addition to that, while linebackers EJ Speed and Zaire Franklin each tallied a hefty amount of tackles, they were also the only linebacker duo in the league to each miss more than 20 tackles as well.
By Pro Football Reference’s metrics, the Colts had the most missed tackles in football in 2024 with 157. The Raiders had the second-most, a full 21 missed tackles behind Indianapolis.
As the numbers show, this was a season-long issue for the Colts and the end result was oftentimes the defense giving up explosive plays, both on the ground and through the air. Most notably, this was on display in the Colts’ devastating Week 17 loss to the New York Giants.
“You guys (the media) are all too smart – the fans are too smart – for me to sit here and say I take ownership on the missing tackles or some of the effort issues or missed assignments,’’ former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said after the Giants game.
“But I do have to take ownership on if the techniques aren’t taught properly, if there’s a poor call based on situations that we’re playing in or players just aren’t in position or players just aren’t in position to make the plays. That’s on me.’’
While Bradley ultimately had to shoulder the blame as the leader of the defense, missed tackles at that rate fall on everyone. It’s coaching, it’s technique, it’s fundamentals, it’s rallying to the ball, it’s play-style, and everything else.