Tag: DeForest Buckner

3 Colts among top-10 at their position in Pro Bowl voting

A trio of Colts are top-10 at their position in Pro Bowl fan votes.

With fan voting commencing for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games, the Indianapolis Colts have three players among the top-10 at their respective positions.

Linebacker Zaire Franklin has the third-most votes among inside linebackers behind only Fred Warner and Roquan Smith. He currently ranks second in total tackles (130) and solo tackles (80). Franklin has never been voted to the Pro Bowl.

Left guard Quenton Nelson has enjoyed a bounce-back season and is currently seventh among guards in Pro Bowl voting. He’s back to moving people at will in the run game, and his 16 total pressures allowed ranks 12th among guards with at least 319 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. He has been voted to the Pro Bowl five times in his first six seasons.

Cornerback Kenny Moore II also is enjoying a bounce-back campaign in Gus Bradley’s system. Even though the NFL still doesn’t have a slot defender position for the Pro Bowl, Moore ranks 10th among cornerbacks in Pro Bowl voting. His 71.6 passer rating allowed in coverage ranks 11th among cornerbacks with at least 275 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. His 70.2 passer rating allowed from the slot is the best mark among all slot defenders.

There do appear to be a few snubs from the list. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is once again having a stellar season and continues to be one of the best interior pass rushers in the NFL.

Making a case for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has been difficult in the past, but he warrants consideration this season. He ranks fourth in receptions (87) and 14th in receiving yards (889), doing so with a backup quarterback.

The edge rusher group is deep every year, but the Colts have gotten some strong production from Samson Ebukam and Kwity Paye while safety Julian Blackmon has the sixth-lowest passer rating allowed in coverage among safeties with at least 262 coverage snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Fan voting for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games continues until Monday, Dec. 25. That will account for one-third of the votes with NFL players and coaches casting their votes on Friday, Dec. 29, accounting for the final two-thirds.

The 2024 Pro Bowl Games will begin with a skill competition on Feb. 1, 2024, and conclude on Feb. 4, 2024, with the flag football game.

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Colts vs. Titans: Updated injury report for Week 13

Here’s the Thursday injury report for the Colts and Titans in Week 13.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) and Tennessee Titans (4-7) released their updated injury reports Thursday ahead of the Week 13 matchup at Nissan Stadium.

Here’s a look at the updated injury report for the Colts in Week 13:

*DNP = Did Not Participate — LP = Limited Participant — FP = Full Participant*

Notes

  • The Colts held an actual practice Thursday after starting the week with a walkthrough.
  • CB Julius Brents still has not practiced since injuring his quad in Week 7.
  • C Ryan Kelly has practiced in full for two consecutive days since suffering his setback. Friday will be a strong suggestion about his status for the weekend.
  • RB Jonathan Taylor is expected to miss the next few weeks after having surgery on his thumb.
  • WR Isaiah McKenzie is expected to play after being upgraded to a full participant Thursday.

Here’s a look at the updated injury report for the Titans in Week 13:

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Colts vs. Buccaneers: Key matchups to watch in Week 12

These are the key matchups to watch in Week 12 between the Colts and Bucs.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-5) are looking to string together a winning streak as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

Coming out of the bye week, the Colts will be down a trio of key players while the Bucs will be without multiple starters on the defensive side of the ball.

As both teams look to make a playoff push with seven games remaining, here’s a look at the key matchups in store for the Week 12 bout:

Bucs at Colts: Three keys to victory in Week 12

Here are three things the Bucs can do to increase their odds on Sunday:

In an interconference battle between two middle-class teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts are both vying for a playoff spot in their largely woeful divisions. A loss on Sunday will significantly dampen either team’s chances to play in the postseason.

Despite losing their starting quarterback in 2023 first-round pick Anthony Richardson for the season, the Colts have one of the more productive offenses in the NFL, ranking 11th overall. The defense has not been as stout, allowing the ninth-most points in the league.

The Bucs have been most successful playing flawed teams while proving they do not belong with the elite like the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills or Philadelphia Eagles. Indianapolis poses an opportunity for the Bucs to remain in the mix for the NFC South title.

Here are three keys to victory for the Bucs’ Week 12 matchup with the Colts:

Colts’ midseason awards for the 2023 season

Handing out some awards with the Colts in a bye week.

The Indianapolis Colts are enjoying the bye week and are just beyond the midway point of the 2023 season.

With 10 games under their belt and seven remaining, this team is right in the thick of the competition for a playoff spot if things bounce their way a bit during the second half of the campaign.

Before we get into the final stretch of the season, we’re going to hand out some awards as the Colts come out of the bye week.

Do Your Job: Who is x-factor Colts player Patriots must stop?

The Patriots must stop this two-time Pro Bowler to win on Sunday.

The New England Patriots have not been able to stop much this season, and this week, they’ll face an Indianapolis Colts team with some holes themselves.

Maybe, just maybe, this week will be an opportunity to add some confidence to the room. But the Patriots have seemingly given up on and off the field with some players even voicing their frustrations on social media.

The going theme this year is the Patriots trying to stop the other team’s x-factors without having any of their own to take over the game. This week, Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is the player the Patriots’ offensive line will be tasked with stopping.

The Patriots will rely heavily on offensive linemen Cole Strange, David Andrews and Sidy Sow to be a healthy and cohesive unit. Any deviations from that and Buckner will completely dominate.

Buckner has the ability to play up and down the defensive line, and he consistently delivers pressure from inside of the pocket, which happens to be the biggest weakness for Mac Jones. He’s also an above average run defender, which could be a real problem for the Patriots as well.

Buckner, 29, was originally selected No. 7 overall in the 2016 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, but with the 49ers needing to shed salary, he was traded in 2020 to the Colts for the 13th overall draft pick in 2020.

Buckner has continued his dominance on his second contract and is one of the best defensive lineman in the entire NFL. The Patriots will likely have nightmares if they do not find a way to limit his impact on the game.

Offensive line coach Adrian Klemm being out with health-related issues is also noteworthy. That means assistant coach Billy Yates will have his hands full in Germany trying to contain a beast on the line.

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5 takeaways from Colts’ 27-13 win over the Panthers

Here are five takeaways from the Week 9 win.

The Indianapolis Colts (4-5) put an end to their three-game skid with a road victory over the Carolina Panthers (1-7).

It was a slow start with both teams going three-and-out on their opening drives and the Panthers punting it on their first three series of the first quarter. The Colts offense seemed to figure things out with three straight scoring drives to create a 13-3 lead late in the second quarter.

That’s when Kenny Moore II opened the game for Indianapolis. A pick-six right before halftime gave the Colts a 20-3 lead. Little did we know, that play by Moore II would prove to be vital to help keep Carolina at bay.

The Indy offense completely struggled in the second half. The Panthers were able to bottle up the rushing attack and Gardner Minshew was extremely ineffective with his arm to help keep drives alive.

Thankfully for Shane Steichen and his staff, the defense stepped up after giving up a touchdown to Carolina on their opening drive of the second half to make it a 20-10 game.

On the following drive for the Panthers, their offense was getting into scoring position and Moore II once again got his hands on the ball for his second pick-six of the game. That one pretty much put the game out of reach with Carolina’s offense burning too much time on a field goal drive and Bryce Young throwing his third interception on the following drive for their offense.

This wasn’t a pretty win for the Colts but as they say, a win is a win. Here are five takeaways from the matchup:

Instant analysis of Colts’ 27-13 win over Panthers

Here’s our instant analysis from the Week 9 win.

The Indianapolis Colts (4-5) ended their three-game losing streak with a 27-13 win over the Carolina Panthers (1-7) on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

In a game the Colts were dominating going into halftime, the Panthers didn’t go away quietly until they made some crucial mistakes in the fourth quarter that allowed the Colts to put the game away.

With this win, the Colts ended their three-game skid and now will focus on getting healthy for the trip to Germany where they’ll face the New England Patriots.

But first, here’s our instant analysis from the Week 9 win:

Colts defeat Panthers, 27-13: Everything we know from Week 9

Recapping the 27-13 win.

The Indianapolis Colts (4-5) defeated the Carolina Panthers (1-7) on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium by a score of 27-13.

Ending their three-game losing streak, it was a much-needed performance from the defense, which has been struggling over the last three weeks. The big day was led by cornerback Kenny Moore II, who returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

The defense showed up big time against an offense they should dominate while the offense struggled mightily in the second half. However, they did enough to keep the Panthers at bay.

Here’s everything we know from the Week 9 win:

4 key matchups for Panthers vs. Colts in Week 9

After tightening up their run defense last week, the Panthers have a hard-hitting challenge ahead of them against the Colts on Sunday.

The Carolina Panthers tasted their first win of the season last Sunday, showing some real strides against the Houston Texans in a 15-13 triumph. So, can they serve themselves up a second straight meal?

If so, here are four key matchups that’ll help them top the visiting Indianapolis Colts in Week 9: