Colts: Rock Ya-Sin undoes excellent first half with brutal pass interference
By Adam Weinrib
Indianapolis Colts CB Rock Ya-Sin had an excellent first half against Aaron Rodgers, but wrecked it all with a terrible pass interference to end it.
If I were Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, I would simply try not to interfere with Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling 51 yards down the field at the tail end of the first half, setting up an unnecessary and easy touchdown.
Clearly, we differ on that one.
Ya-Sin earned great acclaim earlier in the half for a spectacular diving interception that baited Aaron Rodgers into an unwise throw, but with just over 20 seconds to go in the half, Rodgers baited the young CB right back.
Forced to keep up with the speedy Valdes-Scantling all the way to the goal line, Ya-Sin did exactly what Rodgers was hoping he would, grabbing the wideout’s arm and giving him an easy touchdown toss at the horn to make it a 28-14 game.
yep, that's a 51-yard pass interference on Rock Ya-Sin pic.twitter.com/KQpuqVCCxY
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) November 22, 2020
The Colts have the game’s No. 1 defense, sure, but that doesn’t make them immune.
It’s also worth wondering why Ya-Sin was left so far down the field all by his lonesome with such little time still on the clock. At a time when Matt Eberflus should’ve specifically prepared for Rodgers to take a deep shot, he got outfoxed.
All that being said, beat writer Stephen Holder was correct when he called Ya-Sin’s sin a panic move. He did the one thing you cannot do in that situation, and the entire roster paid the price dearly.
Hard to feel bad for him. Rodgers is gunning for him. Man up and do what you gotta do.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) November 22, 2020
Hopefully, this second half features Philip Rivers running some variation on the hurry-up, which worked to perfection the last time this Indy team stared a massive deficit in the face against the Bengals.
If a flurry of points doesn’t follow, though, the Colts will rue the moment their one-score game at halftime became two, all because Rock Ya-Sin couldn’t maintain his discipline for one entire half.
