These two defensive players aren’t getting enough credit for Colts’ success

These two members of the Colts’ defense aren’t getting nearly enough credit for Indy’s success on that side of the ball.

The Indianapolis Colts’ defense isn’t quite a finished product, and we wouldn’t fault GM Chris Ballard if he looked to free agency or via trade to make the remaining necessary upgrades. With that being said, however, the group is also one of the most underrated units in the entire NFL as far as talent is concerned.

When you think of the most noteworthy contributors, high-profile names like linebacker Darius Leonard, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, edge rusher Justin Houston, and cornerback Xavier Rhodes garner the most recognition among media members, and understandably so, as each player is performing well (to say the least) this season.

As great as those players are, their star appeal has unfortunately resulted in some of Indianapolis’ other defensive studs getting overlooked. The first member of the unit that comes to mind is defensive end Tyquan Lewis, who’s been wreaking havoc in bunches over the last two games.

During that span, the 2018 second-round pick has racked up eight tackles (three for loss), 2.5 sacks and one pass defended. This sort of production should see him earn more playing time in Week 9 and beyond.

Fans in Indianapolis have been eagerly waiting for Lewis, who was highly touted after an outstanding collegiate career at Ohio State, to flash his potential and these last two games could be a sign of things to come.

Over his final three years with the Buckeyes, he compiled 103 tackles (34 for loss), 23 sacks, five forced fumbles and five passes defended, so the talent is definitely there. The only problem is that Lewis hasn’t earned a ton of playing time this season, logging a 25% snap share so far. Let’s hope that his season-high 41% tally from Sunday was the start of a trend.

Next, we have cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, who continues to be grossly overlooked as one of the most dominant players at his position. After another superb display vs the Lions, he has now gone a ridiculous 16 straight games without allowing a touchdown in coverage.

Because we said that, watch him get absolutely torched against Baltimore this weekend. In all seriousness, it’s about time that the media, both inside and outside of Indianapolis, give Ya-Sin his long overdue respect.

The 2019 second-round pick has followed up a stellar rookie campaign with an equally impressive sophomore season. While Ya-Sin is allowing a 64% completion rate (16-of-25) when targeted by opposing quarterbacks through seven games, he’s closed up shop when it matters most: in the red zone.

Rhodes might be viewed as the Colts No. 1 CB amid his lockdown revenge season, but there aren’t many better secondary options in the league than the former Temple star. Fans and pundits love nothing more than heaping praise on star players, but Lewis and Ya-Sin deserve just as much credit for Indianapolis’ success on defense.

Philip Rivers has been incredible ever since reading all the critical articles about him

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers has been lights out ever since he chose to read all of the critical articles about him.