The Indianapolis Colts still have a chance to make the postseason, even though injuries have taken a brutal toll on the team this season. That has forced the offense to transition from a potentially explosive one with Daniel Jones at quarterback to an efficient one with Philip Rivers at QB.
Of course, that means that Indy's defense is going to have to be even better than it was earlier in the season, and be the main reason Indianapolis steals some ones. The good news is that defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's unit is getting back a key piece in Week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, who has been out since Week 10 with a neck injury, will return to play on Monday Night Football, according to head coach Shane Steichen. While the defense was quite good against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15, no doubt that Buckner improves the team.
DeForest Buckner will return for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16
Moreover, he will be playing against the team that drafted him but chose not to keep him around after the 2020 season and traded him to the Colts for a first-round draft pick. That is good draft value in return, of course, but Buckner has become one of the best players at his position in the NFL over the last decade.
He is elite against the pass and the run, and should help establish a solid front against a versatile 49ers offense. And the team can get all the help it can.
To make the postseason, the Indianapolis Colts need to win at least two more games and need teams such as the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars to lose. Indianapolis could help itself by defeating the Jaguars in Week 17 and the Houston Texans in Week 18.
The Colts can no longer count on an offense that plays off the excellent run of Jonathan Taylor by throwing deep to Alec Pierce and other wide receivers. Instead, the efficient Rivers will try to lead an attack that sustains drives and scores just enough to win. The defense has to be able to limit what other teams do, too, of course.
Anarumo had a fantastic game plan against the Seahawks, and there is no reason he won't have one against San Francisco. Getting DeForest Buckner back is clearly going to be a boon to Indy's hopes.
In related news, left tackle Berhard Raimann (elbow) will be a game-time decision after he was hurt in Week 15. Cornerback Sauce Gardner is out against the 49ers, but Steichen did say he expected Gardner to return at some point in the final two games.