Tony Dungy's game plan: more simplicity on defense, fewer turnovers on offense

By Josh Elliott

A beefed-up pass rush would allow Bratzke (92), the Colts' best defender, to be even better. Jonathan Daniel/ Allsport Enemy Lines An opposing team's scout sizes up the Colts "It'll be interesting to see if Tony Dungy inspires them, since his approach is so businesslike. We're going to find out if it was Dungy or [Bucs defensive coordinator] Monte Kiffin who got those defenses fired up. I think Tampa Bay's defensive success was more Monte's doing.... They have the best offense in the AFC. Peyton Manning , Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison are all top 3 in the league at their positions, and Marcus Pollard is an underrated pass catcher.... Their O-line should be all right, since their zone-blocking schemes don't force their guys to be superior technicians. Jeff Saturday is an above-average center, but Tarik Glenn has gotten sloppier the last couple of seasons. They'll need to step it up for James, who's going to have to regain confidence in his left knee.... Qadry Ismail should be a good Number 2 receiver for them. In the past he didn't take practice seriously enough. Being around guys like Harrison and Manning should bring him around.... The question is whether they've got the right personnel for the Cover 2 schemes, especially at linebacker and cornerback. Other than Mike Peterson , their linebackers -- particularly Rob Morris and Marcus Washington -- aren't quick enough to cover the field.... Walt Harris has always been a good cover corner, but will he get bored playing zone, and will he have the discipline not to take too many chances?... The offense will have to carry this team again because the defense is a year away." In the Year 2001 Record: 6-10 (fourth in AFC East) NFL rank (rush/pass/total) Offense: 7/2/2 Defense: 25/27/29 New Twist Tony Dungy believes that a reason for the Colts' defensive struggles last year was an overworked starting front seven that played an average of 80% of the snaps. To keep defenders fresh and maximize their speed (a must in his Cover 2 schemes), Dungy will liberally rotate the front seven, aiming to keep each player's average snap count below 55%. Schedule Strength NFL Rank: T16 Opponents' 2001 winning percentage: .500 Games against playoff teams: 5

For 48 hours last January, Tony Dungy was content to remain a former NFL head coach. Following Tampa Bay's second consecutive wild-card playoff loss in Philadelphia, Dungy was fired, an inglorious end to his six-year tenure as the most successful coach in the team's history. Upon receiving the news, he huddled with his wife, Lauren, to weigh his options. Though his name was already being mentioned for other jobs, Dungy considered another calling: prison ministry. "It's something I've always wanted to do, and I thought that maybe the time had come to try it," he says. "I wasn't sure I still wanted to be a coach in the NFL."

As devout and straight-talking as they come, Dungy would no doubt have been a tremendous minister. But when Colts president Bill Polian offered him his team's coaching job (vacant after the firing of Jim Mora), Dungy accepted. Now, he ministers to Indianapolis defenders, who last year were shackled by then defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's complicated, zone-blitz packages, for which they were too slow and inexperienced. Dungy preaches a simpler, ball-hawking Cover 2 scheme, inspiring a defense that last season gave up an NFL-high 30.4 points and an AFC-high 357.2 yards a game to think that this could be a breakout year.

"I've studied film of Tampa's defense for a long time, just because it's such a beautiful thing to watch. Having it here, well, it's been like night and day," says defensive tackle Ellis Johnson. "Last year we were taking on too many blocks and trying to read then react, instead of just flying to the ball. Guys were being asked to do things they couldn't really do. I mean, Ph.D.'s couldn't have figured out our defense."

"The worst part is watching film from last year and seeing how many big plays we gave up because of stupid mental mistakes," says defensive end Chad Bratzke. "It always felt as if we were one step behind." Bratzke, the Colts' best defender and leading sacker in each of the last three years, routinely faced double teams in 2001, partly because Indianapolis had so few playmakers. That will change if rookies such as left end Dwight Freeney of Syracuse and tackle Larry Tripplett of Washington -- both exceptionally quick for their positions -- are able to give the Colts the multipronged pass rush they've lacked since Bratzke arrived as a free agent from the Giants in 1999. "This defense needs speed, and our young guys give us a lot more this year," Bratzke says. "It's exciting when guys are swarming all over the place. Having a scheme that fits our personnel makes it fun again."

When it comes to the offense -- again led by the formidable trio of quarterback Peyton Manning, running back Edgerrin James and wideout Marvin Harrison -- the fun should be all Dungy's. (Also back is offensive coordinator Tom Moore, who recruited Dungy at the University of Minnesota.) "When you change jobs, normally you don't inherit a Pro Bowl quarterback," Dungy says. "Our offense is in good hands."

Manning threw for 4,131 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, but he also tossed 23 interceptions, second most in the NFL. That number will decline if James (who looked good in camp after returning from surgery to repair the left ACL that he tore last October) returns to form and Qadry Ismail, a free-agent pickup from the Ravens, emerges as a steady alternative to the ever-dangerous Harrison.

"The perception is that our defense lost games for us last year, but the reality is that we lost as a team," Dungy says. "We have to cut down on the turnovers, improve on special teams, improve our team speed. If we do those things, we should be fine."

But if the Colts are to reverse field after last year's 6-10 debacle and step up to challenge the Titans for AFC South dominance, their revamped defense must come through. Polian, for one, is certain that Indianapolis got the right man for the job. Asked the difference from last year to this on defense, he cuts the question short. "It's a sea change," Polian says. "With Tony here, it's as dramatic a change as you can get."

Issue date: September 2, 2002