Colts: Key Defensive Injuries Force Rookies To Step Up and Respond

The Indianapolis Colts have been hit by the injury bug and hit hard, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

With season ending injuries to key personnel including strong safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Marlin Jackson, the Colts have been forced to count on their rookie players to step up into the starting roles.

We’ll start at the corner position where rookie Jacob Lacey has been making a name for himself among the Colts players and opposing teams.

Lacey, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Oklahoma State, has filled in for the injured Kelvin Hayden and exceeded anyone’s expectations so far this season. He is seventh on the team in tackles with 35 (27 solo, 8 assists) six passes defended and one interception returned for a touchdown on the year through eight games.

The rookie, who was called on to defend one of the best wide outs in the game last week against the Houston Texans [Andre Johnson] held him to a lot of underneath passes from Schaub limiting his normally aggressive downfield play making capabilities.

Johnson did not catch a touchdown pass in the game while Lacey was defending him. Although he did have 103 receiving yards in the game, for the most part Lacey held him in check only allowing the short stuff in front of him and never gave up the big play.

Now we’ll go across the field to the Colts other rookie starting cornerback due to injuries in Jerraud Powers. Powers a third round draft choice by the Colts out of Auburn took over when fifth year man Kelvin Hayden went down with a knee injury in week two against the Dolphins.

Powers has only turned this into a huge positive for himself and the Colts. He is third on the team in tackles with 40 (33 solo, 7 assists) has forced a fumble, picked off a ball and has five passes defended.

Powers and Lacey have given the Colts a much needed lift on defense in the secondary as first year starters than anyone could have possibly imagined. This outstanding play has helped the Colts to be the number one scoring defense in the NFL through week nine allowing only 13.5 points per game.

Though the rookies are playing well now for the Colts, this Sunday will prove to be a different test all together for the young duo.

Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and the high powered New England Patriots offense come to Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis for a Sunday Night Football showdown between arguably the best two quarterbacks in the game in Manning and Brady.

Both Powers and Lacey will have their skills, and I am sure their last nerves, tested to the brink and beyond when they peer across the line to see Randy Moss or Wes Welker looking back at them.

It will surely be a trial by fire of their skills, mental toughness, and muster when they go up against these two deep threats for the Patriots.

One thing is certain for both of these young talented players and for the Colts. If these two young corners can continue to play and develop as they have so far this season, the future is certainly very bright for them and the Colts to be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.

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