Tag: DeForest Buckner

Report: Colts DT DeForest Buckner will be active vs. the Packers

Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is active for the team’s matchup against the Packers.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Indianapolis Colts’ star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner will be available against the Green Bay Packers.

Buckner sustained a back injury late in the Colts Week 1 game against the Houston Texans. He did not practice during the week but did call himself on Thursday a “game-time decision.”

This is a similar injury that Buckner dealt with and played through last season. Head coach Shane Steichen called Buckner “tough as nails” because of his ability to fight through injuries throughout his career.

As he often does, Buckner was a force against the Texans, totaling three pressures, including two sacks, and making six tackles in the run game.

It can’t be overstated how important Buckner’s presence is to the success of the Colts front. This is a unit that has to bounce back in the run game, and will have a difficult test in doing so against Packers’ running back Josh Jacobs. The Colts cannot let Jacobs get going like Joe Mixon did last week.

The Packers are starting Malik Willis at quarterback but have a litany of pass-catching options that can still stress the shorthanded Colts secondary. The Colts’ ability to pressure Willis will be paramount when it comes to helping out their cornerbacks and safeties.

Also active along the defensive front is defensive end Kwity Paye. We will see as the game unfolds if either player is on a snap count.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner says he’s ‘game-time decision’ vs. Packers

Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner told reporters he is a “game-time decision” for matchup with Packers.

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has missed the first two practices of the week dealing with a back injury. When meeting with reporters on Thursday, Buckner called himself a “game-time decision.”

The injury occurred late in the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Houston Texans. As Buckner frequently does, he was a steady disruptor in that game, recording three pressures, including two sacks, and six tackles against the run.

Injuries in the past have not stopped  Buckner from missing time or at least not that much. In his previous eight NFL seasons, Buckner has never played fewer than 751 snaps in a season.

Buckner would add that this is a similar injury to what he dealt with last season. The Indy Star’s Joel Erickson would write that heading into the Colts’ 2023 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, a back injury much like this one limited Buckner to only 20 snaps in that game.

Buckner said that making sure the injury doesn’t get worse if he does play will be a big part of the decision-making process when it comes to his availability.

In addition to Buckner not practicing to start the week, defensive end Kwity Paye has missed the first two practices as well.

The Colts are coming off a performance against the Houston Texans where they surrendered 200-plus rushing yards, and now have a pending matchup with the Packers’ Josh Jacobs.

The strength of this Colts’ defense is their defensive front. It can’t be understated what not having Buckner and potentially Paye would mean for that unit as a whole.

The final injury report will be released on Friday afternoon.

Colts DT DeForest Buckner will not practice on Wednesday

Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner will not practice on Wednesday ahead of the team’s Week 2 matchup with the Packers.

Prior to taking the practice field on Wednesday, Indianapolis Colts’ head coach Shane Steichen met with reporters and announced that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner would not practice.

Buckner is currently working through a back injury that he suffered late in the Colts’ Week 1 loss to the Houston Texans.

On Monday, Steichen said that Buckner received treatment and was “progressing well.” Buckner also mentioned after the game that he thought he would be good to go for the Colts’ Week 2 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

With it still being early in the week, this could be the Colts being cautious and giving Buckner some added rest heading into Sunday.

Without Buckner on the practice field, that will put an added workload on Raekwon Davis, Taven Bryan, and Adetomiwa Adebawore.

As he does, Buckner made his presence felt on Sunday, totaling three pressures, two of which were sacks, and recording six total tackles in the run game.

The Colts defense was gashed by the Texans run game, which as a unit totaled over 200 yards. That task doesn’t get any easier this week with Josh Jacobs next up on the schedule. Against Philadelphia, Jacobs averaged 5.3 yards per rush in Week 1.

At quarterback, the Packers are expected to be without Jordan Love, which has the Colts preparing to face Malik Willis.

Colts’ DT DeForest Buckner working through back injury

Colts’ DT DeForest Buckner is working through a back injury but the team seems optimistic that he will be ready for the Packers.

Following the Indianapolis Colts’ loss on Sunday to the Houston Texans, it was reported that defensive tackle DeForest Buckner had a back injury. That was the only information available at that time.

He had to be helped off the field late in the Colts’ 29-27 loss to the Texans.

On Monday, when head coach Shane Steichen was meeting with reporters, he said that Buckner was “progressing well” and received treatment for his back.

Steichen called Buckner “tough as nails” and added that “hopefully everything is good to go this week,” while Buckner mentioned that he thought he would be good to go for the Colts’ Week 2 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.

Buckner has battled through injuries in previous seasons with the Colts and has been on the injury report previously for his back.

As he does, Buckner left his mark on the Colts’ Week 1 matchup with the Texans, recording three pressures, including two sacks, according to PFF. He was also in on six total tackles, all of which were considered stops by PFF’s metrics.

The Colts will certainly need Buckner to help against the run, following a performance against the Texans where Joe Mixon rushed for 159 yards.

Next up on the schedule is Josh Jacobs, who averaged 5.4 yards per rush in the Packers’ Week 1 loss to Philadelphia, and without Jordan Love under center, Green Bay may look to rely quite heavily on the run game.

Buckner’s always steady pass rush presence will also go a long way in disrupting likely Packers’ backup Malik Willis, who may be in line for just his fourth NFL start.

Colts’ CB JuJu Brents and DT DeForest Buckner back at practice on Wednesday

After sitting out of Sunday’s preseason opener, Colts’ CB JuJu Brents and DT DeForest Buckner were back for the team’s joint practice.

Both cornerback JuJu Brents and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner were back on the practice for the Colts on Wednesday, according to several members of the Colts’ media, as they faced the Arizona Cardinals in their first of two joint practices.

Brents and Buckner would both miss last Friday’s practice and neither would play in the preseason opener against Denver. Brents’ absence was precautionary on Sunday as he dealt with a shoulder injury.

For Buckner, it was a vet rest day. It remains to be seen if Buckner will play in any of the preseason games, which certainly isn’t a necessity for him.

Prior to Brents’ brief time missed, he was playing some of his best football of the summer. We’ve heard on a few occasions during the offseason and even from GM Chris Ballard right before camp began that the only certainty at cornerback was that Kenny Moore would be starting.

However, since offseason programs, Brents has been a mainstay in the starting defense.

“I feel great,” Brents said recently via Colts.com. “And I would say the main thing is my mentality. I ain’t got to come out here right now and think about doing this and that, now I can just allow my body to do it ’cause I’ve put that work in.”

Also returning to the practice field for the Colts on Wednesday was rookie linebacker Jaylon Carlies who had been dealing with a hip injury and missed the last several practices.

Prior to his injury, Carlies had caught the attention of the coaching staff with his coverage ability at the linebacker position as a former college safety–even seeing some snaps along side Zaire Franklin and EJ Speed as the Will linebacker in base.

As a first year player, however, he will now be playing catchup after missing some valuable time. It looks like when the Colts are lined up in their 4-3 base, Franklin will be the middle linebacker, Speed the Will, and Segun Olubi the Sam.

“You’ve seen us evolve to where a little bit like we’re willing to go, hey, let’s take a safety and maybe he hasn’t had a lot of opportunity to use his hands and strike and shed,” said defensive coordinator Gus Bradley.

“But we feel like, alright, we can coach that part up. That’s JC. He’s a safety that’s playing linebacker, but he’s got really good length and he has that mindset, he just has to develop the skill set.”

Colts’ DT DeForest Buckner and CB JuJu Brents won’t play vs. Broncos

Colts’ DT DeForest Buckner and CB JuJu Brents won’t play on Sunday against the Broncos in the preseason opener.

Colts’ defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and cornerback JuJu Brents won’t be playing in the team’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos.

According to George Bremer, rest is the official reason that Buckner won’t be suiting up, while Brents’ absence is precautionary as he deals with a shouler issue, although if this were the regular season, he would be playing.

Both players sat out of Friday’s practice as well. As far as Buckner goes, playing in the preseason isn’t much of a necessity for him.

Without Buckner and Raekwon Davis still on the non-football illness list with high blood pressure, on Friday we saw Taven Bryan lining up next to Grover Stewart. Recently, SI’s Albert Breer would call Bryan a “camp surprise.”

With Brents, out, we will likely see Dallis Flowers lined up in his place opposite of Jaylon Jones. Brents has seemingly cemented himself as one of the boundary starters at cornerback, while Jones appears to have the advantage over Flowers, taking the bulk of the starting snaps during training camp.

Brents has been playing his best football as of late.

“JuJu, the last four days, has really done well for us,” said defensive coordinator Gus Bradley earlier this week.

After Friday’s practice, head coach Shane Steichen said that most of the Colts’ starters would play for a series or two.

DT DeForest Buckner on how Colts’ pass rush can improve in 2024

Colts’ defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was asked how the defensive front can improve in 2024. Here is what he had to say.

The Indianapolis Colts’ defense is coming off a season in which they produced a franchise record 51 sacks, but if you ask DeForest Buckner, there is one key area in which the defensive front can improve.

“The thing is, we left a lot of sacks out there,” said Buckner on Wednesday, “and you know, we got to continue as a group to just have that constant pressure on the quarterback throughout the entire game.”

While the Colts’ 51 sacks from a season ago were the fifth-most in the NFL, relatively speaking, they didn’t get after the quarterback all that regularly, ranking 23rd in total pressures and 22nd in pressure rate, according to Pro Football Reference.

In terms of being able to replicate that level of sack production this season, realistically, the Colts are going to need generate pressures at a much higher rate. Producing a sack rate that ranked as the eighth-best while being 22nd in pressure rate likely isn’t all that sustainable.

“That was one of the things, was our pressure rate as a unit throughout this season,” added Buckner. “It wasn’t as high as–you put the sacks and the pressure rate, I mean, it was great, sacks are great and all but we got to continue to have an outcome on the game and threaten the quarterback a little bit more, especially in the fourth quarter and in crunch time and those are the things that we can accomplish as a group.”

The Colts are certainly positioned well to make this improvement this season. Along an already stout defensive front, the team added Laiatu Latu in the draft and signed Raekwon Davis in free agency, who the team believes has untapped pass rush production playing in Gus Bradley’s defense.

General manager Chris Ballard has built a very deep rotation that can rely on eight or nine different defenders throughout the course of a game.

That kind of depth will help keep the defenders fresh, it can wear down the offensive line, and can create more one-on-one opportunities.

This also really allows Bradley to mix and match his rotations based on what the game-plan calls for, along with having the luxury of putting players in specific situations where they can succeed.

Buckner would add that the addition of Charlie Partridge as the defensive line coach will play a key role in all of this as well.

“Having Charlie, the new addition to our group,” said Buckner, “I think he’s going to help us take our game to that next level.”

As we all know the name of the game in the NFL is getting after the quarterback. If a defensive front is able to do that regularly, it leads to mistakes from the offense and the rest of the defense benefits greatly.

“I think it’ll just be a big problem for other teams,” said Kwity Paye earlier this offseason. “You know, like you see teams that make it far in the playoffs, the Chiefs, the 49ers, the Eagles, teams like that where they just have a second D-line that could be a first D-line anywhere else.

“So that’s kind of like, I feel like that’s what we’re trying to build here. There’s no dropoff. As soon as the second D-line coming, the O-line doesn’t have rest, like the O-line doesn’t have the chance to regroup for the first team coming in.”

One Colts player earns spot on Pro Football Network’s top 100 list

Pro Football Network put out its list of the top 100 players entering the 2024 season, which included one member of the Colts. 

List and rankings season will be over soon with a few NFL training camps already underway, but before football is fully back, Pro Football Network put out its list of the top 100 players entering the 2024 season, which included just one member of the Indianapolis Colts.

Coming in at No. 100 on this list was defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

“One of the most effective interior defenders of his generation, DeForest Buckner put up 52 sacks over the past five seasons; only Aaron Donald had more among DTs. Buckner, Myles Garrett, and Chris Jones are the NFL’s only players with at least seven sacks in each of the last six years. Buckner also led all defenders with seven batted passes in 2023.”

Buckner has been a consistent force, especially as a pass rusher throughout his career and since he joined the Colts in 2020. Since that first season with Indianapolis, Buckner has averaged nearly 54 pressures per season and recorded at least seven sacks, including eight in each of the last two years.

In 2023, Buckner had the fourth-best pass rush grade from PFF among all interior defenders, while also ranking seventh in pass-rush win rate and 11th in run stop rate as well.

This offseason, the Colts would sign Buckner to a two-year extension worth $46 million that will keep him in Indianapolis through the 2026 season. Buckner now ranks eighth among his position group in average annual contract value.

“DeForest has been the epitome of what it means to be a Colt the last four years,” GM Chris Ballard said in a statement released by the team following the extension. “As one of the premier defensive tackles in the league, he is a destructive force on our defensive line. DeForest is one of the pillars of our locker room. His hard work, consistency, and approach to the game are vital to the success of our team.”

Alongside of Buckner, the Colts have built a very deep defensive line rotation, with eight or nine players that they believe they can rely on regularly.

For Buckner, this depth will help keep him fresh, it can wear down the offensive line, and potentially create more one-on-one matchups with the offense not able to solely focus in on Buckner on every snap.

“I think it’ll just be a big problem for other teams,” said Kwity Paye about the Colts’ defensive front depth. “You know, like you see teams that make it far in the playoffs, the Chiefs, the 49ers, the Eagles, teams like that where they just have a second D-line that could be a first D-line anywhere else.

“So that’s kind of like, I feel like that’s what we’re trying to build here. There’s no dropoff. As soon as the second D-line coming, the O-line doesn’t have rest, like the O-line doesn’t have the chance to regroup for the first team coming in. So for us, I mean, it’s going to be great. So for us, I mean, it’s going to be great.”

Execs, coaches, scouts rank Colts’ DeForest Buckner a top 10 DT

With the help of execs, coaches, and scouts, ESPN ranked the Colts’ DeForest Buckner a top 10 defensive tackle for 2024.

With the help of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler ranked the top 10 defensive tackles ahead of the 2024 season, and featured on the list was the Colts’ DeForest Buckner.

Below is a look at what went into this ranking process:

“Voters give us their best 10 players at a position, then we compile the results and rank candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film-study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, nearly 80 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions. Additional voting and follow-up calls with those surveyed help us break any ties.”

Buckner would come in at No. 8 in Fowler’s rankings, ahead of Kenn Clark and Javon Hargrave. The top-five included Chris Jones at No. 1, followed by Quinnen Williams, Dexter Lawrence, Jeffery Simmons, and Justin Madubuike.

As Fowler wrote, Buckner has been the “model of consistency,” not only since he joined the Colts in 2020 but throughout his NFL career.

In his four seasons with the Colts, Buckner has recorded at least seven sacks each season, including eight in each of the last two, and has averaged almost 54 quarterback pressures each season as well.

Last season specifically, Buckner would have the fourth-highest pass-rush grade from PFF among all interior defensive linemen, rank seventh in pass-rush win rate, and 11th in run-stop rate.

“He’s the guy that’s probably never in the top three but will always be in the top 10,” an NFL scouting director told Fowler. “Consistent. Really productive. Plays with the best motor of any of the D-linemen.”

Earlier this offseason, Buckner would sign a two-year extension that will keep him in Indianapolis through the 2026 season. The extension was worth $46 million in total and now ranks eighth in average annual contract value at the defensive tackle position.

Around Buckner, the Colts invested heavily into the defensive front this offseason. In addition to Buckner’s extension, GM Chris Ballard would re-sign Grover Stewart and Tyquan Lewis. He would also add Raekwon Davis in free agency, draft Laiatu Latu in the first round, and pick up Kwity Paye’s fifth-year option for the 2025 season.

The Colts have built what they believe is a hockey-like line rotation along the defensive front, with eight or nine players they can rely on regularly.

For Buckner, this level of depth will keep him fresh throughout games, help wear down the offensive line, and potentially create more one-on-one matchups for him to exploit.

“DeForest has been the epitome of what it means to be a Colt the last four years,” GM Chris Ballard said in a statement released by the team following the extension. “As one of the premier defensive tackles in the league, he is a destructive force on our defensive line. DeForest is one of the pillars of our locker room. His hard work, consistency, and approach to the game are vital to the success of our team.

“We are fortunate to have DeForest and the caliber of man he is representing our organization. I’m excited for him and his family on this much deserved contract extension.”

No Colts players make CBS Sports top 100 list for 2024 season

CBS Sports put together its list of the top 100 NFL players for the 2024 season, and no Colts made the list, only a few honorable mentions.

Pete Prisco of CBS Sports put together his list of the top 100 players ahead of the 2024 NFL season, and not included were any members of the Indianapolis Colts.

Beyond the top 100 list, Prisco would also put together a list of honorable mentions, in which four Colts’ players did appear: Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, Michael Pittman, and DeForest Buckner.

Taylor has dealt with injuries the last two seasons, appearing in only 21 combined games, but now fully healthy this offseason, GM Chris Ballard expects a “really big year” from him.

In 10 games last season, Taylor averaged 4.4 yards per rush, and we saw him look like the 2021 version of himself in Week 18 against Houston, when Taylor rushed for 188 yards.

The combination of Taylor and Anthony Richardson, who played only two snaps together last season, should be an added stressor for defenses in Shane Steichen’s RPO-heavy offense.

“To have Anthony and JT back there,” said offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, “JT has an extensive history with a lot of success, leading the league in rushing. Now we’ve got Anthony, where a defense, gosh, there may be that mesh on a run play and it’s JT going left and it’s Anthony going right, and as a defense, how do you defend that?

“You have two really explosive players that maybe have a chance to end up with the ball on a run play, how do you defend all that? It is exciting.”

At left guard, Nelson put together a bounce-back season in 2023, allowing only one sack and 21 pressures while ranking sixth among all guards in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric.

Nelson is also one of the leaders of this team and has played a key role in the development of left tackle Bernhard Raimann.

Buckner continues to be a disruptive presence against both the run and the pass for the Colts and signed a two-year extension earlier this offseason. Last season, Buckner had the fourth-best pass-rush grade from PFF among interior defenders while also ranking seventh in pass-rush win rate and 11th in run-stop rate.

Buckner is a core member of what should be one of the most disruptive defensive fronts in football this season.

Pittman has been the model of consistency in the Colts’ offense. Regardless of what the quarterback situation is or what else is happening on that side of the football, he continues to produce, totaling at least 88 receptions in each of the last three seasons and eclipsing 1,000 yards in two of the last three years.

“He shows up every week,” Shane Steichen said of Pittman. “He is a consistent football player that is going to give it everything he’s got and when the ball is thrown to him, he’s going to go make plays. That’s what he does every week and he’s consistent doing it.

“When we need a big play, he’s the guy that makes it for us usually in the pass game. He’s been doing it here for a while and just very fortunate to have him on this football team.”

There’s a ton of potential on this Colts team this season. And while, ultimately, potential doesn’t mean much if it’s not recognized, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic and bullish about the Colts in 2024.