Colts LB Darius Leonard clearly wants to avenge the team’s playoff loss.
On paper, the Indianapolis Colts seemed poised to make a deep playoff run, but their pulse in the postseason tournament was short-lived as they lost a heartbreaker to the Buffalo Bills in the opening game of Wild Card Weekend.
All fans can hope for is that the defeat serves as a blessing in disguise in the long run, as Indy was ultimately the culprits of their own demise, accounting for just 16 points on the scoreboard midway through the fourth quarter despite crossing midfield on seven drives.
While the Colts’ comeback surge proved how much grit they have, this roster — as inexperienced as it is — is simply too talented to take solace in moral victories, and linebacker Darius Leonard’s postgame quote proves how much work they need to do in the offseason.
Darius Leonard: "This offseason, you gotta work like it's your last season... You gotta work when everybody's sleeping."
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) January 9, 2021
He's pissed.
Leonard is somebody who reads every shred of criticism and always plays with a chip on his shoulder, so this is exactly the kind of quote we would expect him to unleash after a gutting playoff defeat.
Already a master of his craft, though his underdog temperament would loudly deny that, it seems that he’s already champing at the bit to get after it in terms of preparing for next season, and we seriously hope the rest of his teammates embrace his never-satisfied mentality.
The two-time All-Pro was everywhere for Indianapolis’ defense against Buffalo, compiling 12 tackles (nine solo) and delivering arguably the highlight of the game when he stood up quarterback Josh Allen, who’s established a reputation for bulldozing defenders brave enough to meet him in the open field, and drove him backwards.
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1347979497375727616
Leonard is as obsessed with the grind as any player in the league and we honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already back in the proverbial factory. Coming off his second All-Pro nod in three seasons, the 2018 second-round pick is clearly out for blood, and we deeply sympathize with any poor souls he uses as practice dummies this offseason.
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