DeForest Buckner on Colts defense: ‘ego gets in the way’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Colts defense was not the strong suit of the team in 2024.
They ranked 24th in points allowed per game and 29th in yards allowed per game.
In fact, defensive lineman DeForest Buckner called this the worst year defensively that the team has had in his five seasons with the Colts.
One of the issues he cited was ego.
“There’s times when ego gets in the way,” Buckner said. “I feel like especially in our business, playing in the NFL at a high level as a team, everybody needs to check their ego at the door when we come in. We all have them. Especially as men in that locker room, we all have egos. But the great teams, those guys, they sacrifice that ego and check it at the door.”
Buckner thought there were times that the defense was just a bunch of individuals playing. It wasn’t a cohesive unit, and he said it showed.
Buckner said you can feel it and you can see it on tape. It was a consistent problem, and it wasn’t just with one player. He said it was a lot of guys, and he takes partial ownership.
Buckner said they called things out throughout the season, but they have to do a better job at eliminating that stuff and it got away from them this season.
When the defense played together, Buckner said they had some glimpses of playing at a high level.
Buckner was also outspoken about the continuity of this team.
“There’s definitely some comfortability in the building,” Buckner said. “We have to have more competition in all aspects in the building and I feel like guys get complacent for sure. You got to continue to have people on edge.”
He gave an example of someone that benefitted from competition this season, and that was wide receiver Alec Pierce. The Colts drafted wide receiver AD Mitchell in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Buckner said after Mitchell was drafted, he saw Pierce’s game elevate. He rose to the competition in the wide receiver room.
Pierce had the best season of his career, setting a career high in receiving yards and touchdowns. He also led the NFL in yards per reception, averaging 22.3 yards per catch.
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