It’s crunch time for the NFL. The league is entering the final four weeks of the regular season, and with 30 teams still in playoff contention, every franchise is locking in and trying to secure a ticket to the postseason. The Indianapolis Colts are one of those teams. At 7-6, Indy is currently the No. 7 team in the AFC, making Indianapolis the final Wild Card team if the playoffs started today.
Unfortunately, the postseason isn’t starting today, so the Colts will have to fight to hang on to their spot for four more games. That fight starts on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The good news, though, is that Indianapolis is getting healthy for this final stretch of the season.
With game statuses officially announced after Thursday’s practice, it’s clear that rookie cornerback JuJu Brents will return after being a full participant at practice this week. The young defensive back has been sidelined since Week 7. Linebacker EJ Speed, who missed Indy’s Week 14 game, has also returned to practice as a full participant and will also return to play on Saturday.
Thursday's practice report for #PITvsIND: pic.twitter.com/Nb4y5mwtQH
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) December 14, 2023
JuJu Brents and EJ Speed getting healthy in time for Colts
The biggest negative from Indy’s injury report is the fact that running back Jonathan Taylor hasn’t returned to practice and will miss a third straight game. Right tackle Braden Smith will also miss Saturday’s game. However, Indianapolis will definitely be grateful for the extra help on the defensive side of the ball with Speed and Brents playing on Saturday.
Both starters, Speed has been great all season, rotating early in the year but taking over full time after the release of Shaquille Leonard. Brents, on the other hand, has dealt with various injuries in his rookie season but when on the field, he has been a quality starter for the Colts. Hopefully, after missing so many weeks, Brents will be able to step in and picked up where he left off. If that can happen, Indianapolis will be in a pretty good spot with four games remaining, giving the team a chance to punch its ticket to the postseason.