Jesse Minter’s trip to Indianapolis comes with a familiar lesson tucked inside last year’s Colts tape: if you want to bother Daniel Jones, you have to make him feel it early and often.
That’s the big takeaway from the way Minter used Derwin James in the Chargers’ 38-24 loss to Indianapolis in late October. James wasn’t parked in one spot.
He was sent after Jones six times, tied to edge pressure, aligned in the slot, and even brought through the A gap once with success. The result was a productive day for James - three pressures, two quarterback hits and a QB hurry - and a clear sign that Minter was willing to turn his hybrid safety loose.
It also showed where the Chargers came up short. Jones still finished 23-for-34 for 288 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 113.4 rating, and Minter’s defense never really found the right answer in the passing game.
He mixed in zone, but the nickel and dime looks were hammered. Against man coverage, Jones was 1-of-4, but Minter didn’t lean on that approach much because the Colts were rolling at the time.
Now Minter gets a new version of that problem, and a new weapon to deploy in Kyle Hamilton. The Ravens safety gives him a player with the same kind of versatility James offered, and the comparison matters here because the Chargers blueprint suggests Hamilton could be asked to do more as a pass rusher than usual.
That may be especially true with the Ravens dealing with uncertainty up front. Nnamdi Madubuike is a serious question to play in this game, and if he can’t go, Minter may need to create pressure in other ways rather than trust a four-man rush to handle everything. Jones, in his first game back from season-ending Achilles surgery, brings the kind of athleticism that can stress a defense if he gets comfortable.
Minter already knows that. Jones used his legs as a springboard against the Chargers, and Minter’s weekly press conference after that loss made it clear the defense wasn’t close to where it needed to be.
“We’re not where we want to be,” Minter said of his defense in his weekly press conference after the Colts loss, pointing to all aspects of play including communication.
There’s also a coverage angle here that could shape how Hamilton is used. Minter largely avoided putting James in man coverage on Tyler Warren, the freakish tight end who can tilt a game.
James was in man coverage on just three of his 30 pass defense snaps, close to a season low. That conservative approach made sense with Michael Pittman and Pierce both in peak form and Jonathan Taylor driving the offense, but the Colts are different now.
Pittman is gone, and Pierce missed half a year after ankle surgery and is trying to be ready for Week 1 without being at full strength.
That opens the door for Hamilton to get more work against Warren, even if it comes with risk. The same could be true on third down, where Jones was especially sharp last time out. He went 7-of-9 for 91 yards with two touchdowns and a near perfect rating on third-and-fourth down, and the Colts piled up 14 first downs through the air, the most LA allowed all season.
If Minter is looking for a place to be more aggressive, that’s probably it. He has already shown he’s willing to use a hybrid safety as a pressure piece, and with Hamilton in the fold, the Ravens may be set up to lean harder into that idea right away.
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