The safety position for the Indianapolis Colts was one of the big question marks coming into the season. However, two games in, the focus has shifted to the team’s run defense instead.
In part, that’s because the play of the front seven against the run has been abysmal. But also a part of the equation is the stability that Cross has provided at the safety position through two games.
In Week 1 against Houston, Cross was the Colts’ starting free safety. Then in Week 2, he took over the strong safety role with Julian Blackmon sidelined.
In two games, Cross has totaled a whopping 26 total tackles, 21 of which were solo. By PFF’s metrics, he’s only missed on tackle as well.
In coverage, where Cross has seen less action given the success in the run game for Houston and Green Bay, he’s allowed five receptions on six targets but for a grand total of only 12 yards–again, putting that tackling ability on display.
Cross’ 21 solo tackles leads all safeties through two games. 17 of those have come in the run game, which is also the most in football, and it’s not particularly close, with the next closest safety having only eight. Cross also ranks top-10 in run stops–or plays that constitute a loss for the offense in the run game.
On the one hand, it’s good to have a reliable tackling presence at the safety position. As the numbers show, Cross has been in on a lot of plays, doing what he can from the safety position to help in the run game.
On the other hand, the fact that he has had to be so active against the run speaks to the major issues that the front seven is having right now, which in part, has forced Cross to play such a major role.
Ideally, many of those tackle opportunities don’t even make it to Cross because the defensive front and linebackers have haven’t allowed the runner to get to the level of the field where the safeties are. However, that hasn’t been the case too often.
Throughout training camp, the Colts often played musical chairs at the safety position as they waited for someone to emerge and grab hold of that starting spot next to Julian Blackmon. Admittedly, it took time for that process to work itself out, but eventually it did, with Cross taking control of that competition with his play in the preseason.
Although it’s only a two game sample size, and the Colts haven’t truly been tested through the air yet, which is where the concerns for this secondary lie, Cross has carried the momentum that he established late into the summer into the regular season.