3 Colts defenders who must step up to make playoffs
1. Colts defenders who must step up: Darius Leonard
Alright, seeing Darius Leonard’s name may be a surprise. He’s one of the best linebackers in the NFL, he’s become a forced-turnover machine, and he leads Indianapolis in every way possible while nursing a nagging ankle injury— what else must he do?
While that’s all true, even the great ones have room for improvement, and sometimes they have to do a little bit more to fill the holes on their teams. One of the holes for the Colts is their pass coverage against tight ends, and that’s an area Leonard can step up to improve.
This season, Indianapolis is the second-worst team against tight ends, and they do the majority of their work in the middle of the field, the same place Leonard patrols. While defending modern tight ends is a group effort amongst linebackers, safeties, and corners, Leonard can play a huge role in limiting opposing tight ends.
Leonard has the speed, mobility, and physicality to match up against a lot of the league’s tight ends. The Colts shouldn’t just have him go out there and follow every tight end in coverage, but Leonard can do a better job of defending passes in the middle of the field whether he is in zone or man.
If Leonard can impact the defense’s coverage against tight ends like he forces turnovers, this defense will improve dramatically. An improved defense with the already fourth-ranked offense gives Indianapolis a great shot at grabbing a playoff spot and making some noise.
