Colts: Chris Ballard hypes up Kenny Moore and reloaded secondary
By Mike Luciano
Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard didn’t make a ton of new additions in the secondary, preferring instead to lean on a group that included one of the best nickel corners in the league in Kenny Moore and a quality outside corner in Xavier Rhodes.
Rhodes showed that even after leaving the Vikings, he can shut down some of the best receivers in the league. Moore, however, has consistently flown under the radar despite his production in the slot helping him rank among the truly elite cornerbacks in the game.
Ballard knows that while raw box score stats like interceptions don’t show how dominant he has been or how important he is to Matt Eberflus’ defense. He finally took to the world of podcasting in an attempt to convince the casual football world of Moore’s value and potential
Speaking on “The Athletic Football Show” with Robert Mays, Ballard hyped up the idea of Moore finally getting his due as one of the best cornerbacks in the game, as he claimed that his versatility is what has made him such a dominant team.
Colts GM Chris Ballard had high hopes for Kenny Moore
“He can cover. He can play zone coverage. I mean it’s like a linebacker position for us,” Ballard said on the podcast. “We blitz him. We do a lot of different stuff with him.”
Moore has started 40 games over the last three games, making 181 tackles, six sacks, and nine interceptions. Those numbers belie his true effectiveness, as Eberflus has been able to deploy more conservative alignments and pressure packages due to the presence of Moore screaming off of the edge.
Moore has up just one touchdown last year, all while picking off three passes and allowing just under 300 yards after the catch. Those numbers rank up there with some of the best defensive backs in the game, and that production helped Eberflus decide to match Moore up with the mighty Darren Waller. That type of player doesn’t come around too often.
Another reason Kenny Moore is underrated and one of the best CBs in the game. https://t.co/Pvo1xscruz
— Chris Blystone (@chrisblystone) July 2, 2021
Ballard also mentioned that in addition to Moore and Rhodes returning to the secondary, getting a versatile player like TJ Carrie and a COVID-19 opt-out Marvel Tell back into the fold will help erase any questions about this area of the squad.
The secondary wasn’t necessarily elite last year, but considering that most of the stars will return to Eberflus’ unit next year, that extra year of familiarity with that scheme in a more normal offseason could be the catalyst that really turns things around in Indianapolis.
