The Indianapolis Colts started off the season as one of the best teams in the league, but now, they are in full-blown crisis mode. Over the past few weeks, it felt like the hits would never stop coming: the Colts lost Charvarius Ward, Sauce Gardner, and, worst of all, Daniel Jones.
Losing Jones to an Achilles rupture is by far the biggest death knell for the Colts' season; with Anthony Richardson already on injured reserve, the only quarterback Indy even has to work with is Riley Leonard... only, oh, wait, he's injured too. The Colts are so desperate that they even brought Philip Rivers out of retirement, a sure sign of just how far this season has fallen.
Thankfully, as the Colts prepare for Week 15's game against the Seattle Seahawks, there's at least one ray of hope to count on. The Colts had to put DeForest Buckner — one of the league's best defensive tackles and a major leader for Indy's defense — on injured reserve in Week 10, but now, he's starting to come back.
DeForest Buckner finally gives Colts fans something to feel good about
In a press release, the Colts announced Buckner's return window had been activated, meaning he can participate in practice and officially be designated to return any time in the next 21 days. For a team that feels like it's in free-fall, Buckner's return couldn't have come at a better time.
Buckner has repeatedly been recognized by the Colts for his leadership and character both on and off the field, so seeing him back at practice will surely give the team a much-needed morale boost. He's currently one of eight finalists for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and the respect his teammates have for him can't be understated.
Why does that matter? The Colts, and their fans, are in dire need of something, anything, to feel optimistic about. Buckner returning doesn't solve all their problems, of course, but it does give a psychological boost, if nothing else.
On a more concrete level, the defense always suffers when Buckner isn't on the field. In the weeks without him, the Colts have not been anywhere near as good; in the last two games, for example, Indy logged just one sack and five quarterback hits. (Ouch.)
Buckner won't be able to save the offense, but after all, it's the defense that wins games. It may feel like all hope is lost, but technically speaking, the Colts are still in playoff contention. Who knows? With Rivers there to mentor Leonard and Buckner back in action, maybe Indianapolis can get an early Christmas miracle.