The Indianapolis Colts (3-2) are set to host the Cincinnati Bengals (1-3-1) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium for a Week 6 home matchup before their bye.
Barring a setback following four false-positive COVID-19 tests, the Colts are ready to get back into the win column and could very well do so on the back of their defense against rookie quarterback Joe Burrow.
Here are three keys for the Colts defense against the Bengals offense in Week 6:
Target the right side of the Bengals OL
When Bobby Hart is a starting piece for an NFL offensive line, that’s the matchup to exploit. Hart is constantly in the running for the worst offensive tackle in the league. His 21 pressures allowed are tied for the second-most in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.
Even though Justin Houston is questionable with a hip injury, the Colts need to get their edge rushers going on the right side of the ball. Whether it’s Houston, Al-Quadin Muhammad or Denico Autry, this is the matchup to exploit. It would also help to continue working stunts to create miscommunication on the right side of their line.
Keep Joe Burrow contained
Something the Colts have struggled with at times this season is keeping a quarterback contained in the pocket. We saw Sam Darnold make a nice play in Week 3 outside the pocket while the Browns constantly had Baker Mayfield working bootlegs and getting out of the pocket.
Burrow’s rushing upside means the Colts have to keep him from extending plays with his legs. Fortunately, the Bengals are a swiss cheese offensive line and getting pressure should be easy, but they have to finish the job, which is something they missed out on in Week 5.
Focus on stopping Joe Mixon
If the Colts can get constant pressure on the rookie in Burrow and then find ways to stop the run game, this shouldn’t really be a contest. Mixon is averaging 3.7 yards per carry so while the Bengals offensive line is bad at protecting its quarterback, they are also struggling to create running lanes for the dynamic running back.
He’s also pretty active in the passing game but if the Colts can focus on keeping him contained between the tackles, the defense should have its way on Sunday.
