There is no denying the Indianapolis Colts (3-1) will be down a few important starters when they take the field Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium to take on the Cleveland Browns (3-1).
While starting linebacker Darius Leonard will be out with a groin injury, a key piece to the offensive line in Anthony Castonzo will be inactive due to a rib injury. Stepping in for the veteran left tackle will be Le’Raven Clark.
A former third-round pick with the Colts from the previous regime, Clark has been with the organization since 2016. Head coach Frank Reich has seen him work for three years now and is confident in what Clark can bring to the table on Sunday.
“Yeah, I’m excited to see Le’Raven (Clark) play. He came in here this year – I thought he had his best training camp. He’s looked as good as he has looked in the three years I’ve been here. I really think he is going to come in and play well,” Reich told reporters on Friday.
Thanks to the incredible continuity along the offensive line, the Colts haven’t much need for backups in the last few seasons. To that point, Clark hasn’t played an offensive snap since the 2018 season—excluding the 10 snaps he’s had this season.
Even with having to knock off some of the rust on Sunday, Reich is confident from what they’ve seen from Clark during training camp.
“He is a very athletic guy, smart guy, tough guy. What I appreciate about Le’Raven (is) even during this stretch where all of our guys have stayed healthy, he’s stays locked in and he’s always getting himself mentally and physically ready,” Reich said. “I have a lot of confidence in Le’Raven.”
Even so, Clark will be tested greatly on Sunday. It won’t be every snap most likely, but Clark will be tasked with slowing down a front runner for the Defensive Player of the Year award in Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
“The thing is with Myles Garrett and what they do defensively, they move him around. So, I’m sure he’ll switch sides. That’s nothing new for him,” Reich said. “They’ll want to test out Le’Raven (Clark) and that kind of stuff, but we have our plans on how we’ll handle those things.”
With such a close game expected, the matchup between Clark and Garrett could be one that turns the tide for either team on Sunday. If Clark holds up well, the Colts may be able to sneak off with a road win. If Garrett takes over that side, the Browns could make good on being favorites.
No matter how much confidence the Colts have in Clark, this will be a vital storyline to follow throughout the day and one that could very well be a major factor in deciding the outcome in Week 5.
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