The Indianapolis Colts will be without one of their key players on defense for the remainder of the season. Adam Schefter reported, “Colts HC Shane Steichen told reporters that DeForest Buckner now will need neck surgery after aggravating his injury. He will be placed on season-ending injured reserve.”
The initial injury occurred to the Colts star defensive tackle in their Week 9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team initially believed it was a stinger, before an MRI later confirmed that it was a herniated disc compressing on a nerve in Buckner’s neck.
During Buckner’s five-game absence, the team went 1-4, falling from a 7-2 record to 8-6. Buckner’s Week 16 return against his former team, the San Francisco 49ers, was in hopes of salvaging the Colts’ playoff chances with a win.
Unfortunately, now, on top of the Colts having a three percent chance to make the playoffs according to ESPN, Buckner will now have to think about his NFL future moving forward.
Some Better News on Colts’ Injury Front
GettyIndianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner was traded from the New York Jets for two future first round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
While the loss of Buckner is devastating and the latest in a string of unfortunate injuries the Colts have sustained this season, there is also some good news on the injury front.
Adam Schefter reported that cornerback Sauce Gardner is ready to return to the lineup.
Josh Alper of CBS Sports wrote, “Head coach Shane Steichen said on Friday that the plan is for Gardner to play against the Jaguars. Gardner has missed the last three games with a calf injury.”
Regardless of the Colts’ outcome this season, Gardner is going to be a part of the organization’s plans for the foreseeable future, as he will still have three years remaining on the contract the Colts inherited from the New York Jets.
Gardner has played well in his brief stint with the Colts, recording a 75.1 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus, which marks him 14th out of 112 overall corners.
It will be good for Colts fans to see Gardner on the field to finish out the season and get a better idea of how he will look within defensive coordinator Lou Anaroumo’s scheme.
Colts Prepare to Upset Jaguars on Sunday
GettyThe Indianapolis Colts lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-36 in Week 14.
Six weeks ago, a headline calling for an upset between these two teams would have been in reverse. But now Jacksonville sits at the top of the division and on a six-game win streak. The Colts are hoping the Houston Texans lose on Saturday to the Los Angeles Chargers just to keep playoff chances alive.
While the Jaguars are currently the hotter and healthier team, that doesn’t mean a victory for them is guaranteed. The Colts’ offense was much improved in their Week 16 matchup against the 49ers. Philip Rivers seemed much more comfortable in his second week in a Colts uniform.
The Colts’ Week 14 matchup against the Jaguars fell off the rails after Daniel Jones’ injury forced rookie quarterback Riley Leonard into action. Leonard by no means did a bad job in relief, but the starting quarterback having a full week of preparation this time around should provide an offensive boost lacking in their previous matchup.
As for the defensive side, a team that just got exposed in a five-touchdown performance by Brock Purdy will need to cool off an offense that just dropped 34 points on the Denver Broncos‘ defense. The addition of Sauce Gardner will help the Colts’ secondary and allow Anaroumo to run some additional pressure packages to get Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of sync.
On any given Sunday, anything is possible, and in a divisional match-up, that tune rings even louder. The Colts are 6-2 at home, and there is no better opportunity to spark a late-season run than with a victory over a rival opponent.
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