What’s Biggest Difference for Cornerback Xavier Rhodes in Colts Defense?

In seven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, cornerback Xavier Rhodes was asked to play a lot of man-to-man coverage. Now with the Indianapolis Colts, he’s adjusting to more of a scheme that requires keeping an eye on the quarterback.

INDIANAPOLIS — Cornerback Xavier Rhodes has made a seven-year NFL career out of being on an island in man-to-man coverages.

Now he’s with the Indianapolis Colts, who are asking the 2017 All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection to switch to a scheme with more zone coverage.

“It’s so much easier, I’ll tell you that,” Rhodes said on a Monday Zoom video conference call.

That island can be a lonely place when games aren’t going well. Rhodes, 30, was released this offseason with two years left on a five-year, $70.1-million extension because the Minnesota Vikings didn’t think he was worth the money after two inconsistent seasons. Rhodes has said part of the problem was the fact that he was playing hurt at times.

The Colts had a need at cornerback after the release of Pierre Desir and liked the idea of adding Rhodes, who at 6-1 and 218 distinguished himself when playing well as a physical defender. It cost the Colts $3 million for 2020 in what equates to a low-risk, high-reward proposition.

“The defensive concept I came from is more of a man (coverage) concept, and this one is more zone – eyes to the quarterback on some plays,” Rhodes said. “That’s going to be the main difference for me, is being able to play looking at the quarterback rather than looking at the man.”

Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus recalls seeing Rhodes practice before the Pro Bowl and was impressed with his skills. Rhodes is also being reunited with defensive backs/cornerbacks coach Jonathan Gannon and defensive backs/safeties coach Alan Williams, who as Vikings assistants helped Rhodes thrive. Gannon was a Vikings assistant defensive backs/quality control coach from 2014 to 2017 while Williams was defensive coordinator in 2012 and 2013.

“Every defensive coordinator, every defensive coach is pretty different,” Rhodes said. “They always have their spin to different things. It’s up to the player to work at it and get used to it and learn the new techniques. You won’t learn everything within a day. You have to go home and keep focusing and looking at the techniques and looking over your notes. That’s how eventually you’ll become better at it.”

The Colts have had walk-thru workouts during training camp. Padded practices don’t begin until next week.

“Honestly, no matter what type of scheme you run, the scheme you play always depends on the team,” he said. “If you’re by yourself on an island, you need the rush to get there so the ball needs to get out fast so you can react to the pass or you need to cover the guys a lot faster so the rush can get there. It’s always hand in hand, no matter what scheme you’re in.”

It’s not like the Colts stay in zone all the time. Rhodes will be expected to play his share of man-to-man, too.

“We are going to do both,” he said. “Where I came from, they were able to do both, too. So you just have to know where your help is at and know if you’re on an island or not.”

In seven seasons with the Vikings, Rhodes actually had a career-high 61 total tackles last year. But it was also the first time he didn’t have an interception since his rookie year in 2013. Five of his 10 career interceptions came in 2016. And his six passes defended in 2019 were a career-low.

So his coverage was spotty at times the last couple of seasons, but he wasn’t shy about being a tough tackler.

“My play is physical, so I’m normally going to cover in a physical way, but I’m also going to tackle in a physical way,” he said. “In the defensive schemes I’ve been playing in, especially this one and the one I did before, corners have to tackle. You have to come down and replace the crack from the receiver – the safety or the SAM, so we have to become linebackers. I was in the box. There are going to be times that you’re going to see me in the box here. There’s going to be a time where I’ll have to be a physical player as a linebacker or come down and set the edge to the run.”

Asked if he likes that, Rhodes laughed.

“I mean, you have no choice,” he said. “You have no choice but to do it. In certain schemes of defense, you just have to go do it. You have to do your job and not complain about it, just go down and make the tackle.”

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)