Mid-Season Grades for the Defense of the Indianapolis Colts

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Now that the Indianapolis Colts have reached the halfway point of their 2013 season, Naptown’s Finest takes a look at the defense. Listed below are grades for the defense of the Colts, after eight games of the 2013 season.

Defensive Seconday – The Colts have been banged up in the secondary all season. Safety LaRon Landry missed four games, and has looked less-than impactful since returning. The defensive backfield has suffered through injuries, as well. Greg Toler has been hurt, and the lack of his presence has shown. The secondary got smashed early against the Houston Texans last week, and looked confused in a loss against the Miami Dolphins. When healthy, the Indianapolis secondary is one of the best in the league, but they haven’t been very healthy very often. Mid-Season Grade – C

Defensive Line/Linebackers – The Colts may get a big boost in the second half of the season, with the return of rookie outside linebacker Bjoern Werner. Werner went down in week three, with a foot injury. Linebacker Pat Angerer is also starting to come back to form, which could prove productive for the Colts in the playoffs.

The real story about the Indianapolis defense is the rise of Robert Mathis. Mathis is a pro Bowl player, but is on track to have the best season of his career. Mathis was named AFC defensive player of the month for October, and has 11.5 sacks so far this season. Mid-Season Grade – A-