Colts need Tyquan Lewis to step up after DeForest Buckner lands on COVID-19 list
The Colts have placed DeForest Buckner on the COVID-19 reserve list.
With a crucial, potentially division-defining Week 12 matchup with the Tennessee Titans on the horizon, the Indianapolis Colts were hit with some of the worst possible news on Wednesday. DeForest Buckner will miss Sunday’s game after being placed on the COVID-19 reserve list.
What’s even worse? Fellow defensive lineman Denico Autry is already on that list after missing last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers, so it’s very possible Indy is down two of their best front-seven guys against a terrifying Titans rushing attack.
What does that mean? Tyquan Lewis‘ presence has never been more important. This is his time to shine.
Remember, Denico Autry is already in Covid reserve, so it’s possible they could missing both of them against Tennessee on Sunday. Autry’s status for Sunday is still unclear.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) November 25, 2020
The Colts were certainly onto something when they beefed up their defensive line over the last few years, huh? Buckner’s absence will be irreplaceable, but Lewis gives them a promising option to work with.
The former 2018 second-round pick is enjoying his best NFL season to date, having registered a career-high 3.5 sacks and 16 tackles (six for a loss) across 10 games (two starts) in 2020. He’s also got four QB hits, which is four away from his career high he set during his rookie season.
Though he’s only seen 34% of the snaps on defense thus far, the timing for him to make an impact in a big moment couldn’t be better. He recorded a season-high 82% of the defensive snaps against the Packers on Sunday. His next highest snap count? That came against the Titans two weeks ago, in which he recorded three tackles (two for a loss).
Tyquan Lewis has stepped up in a big way in Year 3. Those efforts will need to be ten-fold now on Sunday against the Titans. https://t.co/anOoG51X4p
— Andrew Walker (@AWalkerColts) November 25, 2020
There’s no doubting the loss of Buckner will make the Colts’ assignment even more difficult on Sunday (in addition to Wednesday’s nauseating injury report), but this is what the front office prepared for. They value what their front seven brings to the table and Lewis’ experience should play a role in helping that unit not miss too many beats with the Colts’ All-Pro talent on the shelf.
If anything, Colts fans can view this as a good way for the team’s key depth pieces to get even more meaningful reps with the postseason about a month away.
