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Colts Henry Anderson and David Parry Shine in Rookie Debuts

By Luke Schultheis

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While much of Sunday’s game wasn’t pretty, the Indianapolis Colts defense did receive strong performances from two of their rookie defensive lineman Henry Anderson and David Parry–particularly in the former’s case:

On the afternoon, Anderson had 9 total tackles, 8 of which were solo, and 3 that were tackles for loss. Quite frankly, the 3rd round pick spent a lot of time in the Bills backfield simply wreaking havoc.

According to ProFootballFocus (subscription), Anderson received a +0.3 overall grade, including a +1.0 grade in run defense. However, his actual impact on the game seemed like much more than that to the naked eye. 

Colts head coach Chuck Pagano gushed about his rookie defensive end’s ability to get penetration and activity on defense Sunday: 

"“Guy (Henry) made a ton of plays in the backfield,” said Pagano at a press conference on Monday. “I don’t think we’ve had a defensive lineman around here since I’ve been here–an interior guy that plays the 5, the nose, or 3 end up with 8, 9, 10 tackles on the stat sheet. Very, very active, and he did a great job.”"

However, Anderson wasn’t alone in having a productive debut along the Colts defensive line, as fellow rookie defensive lineman David Parry had a solid performance for the team starting at nose tackle:

Parry didn’t necessarily have the impact of Anderson with just 1 tackle on the day. However, he did register a QB hurry and seemed to hold his own out there in more limited action.

Per ProFootballFocus, Parry received only a -0.2 grade overall, which isn’t exactly an inspiring grade at first glance. However, for a rookie 5th round pick making his 1st career NFL start at nose tackle, it’s a solid step in the right direction.

Like with Anderson, Pagano was pleased with his rookie nose tackle’s debut along the Colts defensive line, although there’s admittedly still room for improvement:

"“David (Parry) did a good job,” added Pagano. “Like to see a little bit more production, and we’ll get it out of #54.”"

All things considered, it was an impressive debut for the Colts’ pair of Stanford rookie defensive lineman, even if there’s still areas for growth and to build upon:

"“But I thought those two were outstanding,” concluded Pagano. “Got some things to clean up like anybody else, but guys made plays. You can’t ask for anything more, especially out of a rookie.”"

Sep 13, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) throws a pass under pressure by Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle David Parry (54) during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

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