The Indianapolis Colts are not exactly known for their defense. They have a history of allowing other teams to get a lot of yards running the ball. Out of the 32 teams in the NFL, they rank in the bottom half on defense. They have shown some improvements during the playoffs, but as you learned yesterday, the Saints offense is good with everything. The Colts' Defense certainly has their work cut out for them.
The star of this defense is Dwight Freeney. He is a Pro Bowl Defensive End that is known for his toughness because he plays through injuries. He was #3 in the NFL this season in sacks accumulating 13.5 sacks during the regular season. He also owns the team's record for career sacks with 84. Clearly, he knows how to get to the quarterback. If he is healthy, Drew better watch out!
Here are all of the players that will potentially start when the Colts Defense comes out on Sunday. (Go back to the article Defense Wins Championships! to review the roles.)
Tackles and Ends - These guys are going after Drew and his Running Backs.
Antonio Johnson (#99) - Defensive Tackle
Dan Muir (#90) - Defensive Tackle
Robert Mathis (#98) - Defensive End
Dwight Freeney (#93) - Defensive End. Ankle is injured, so we will have to wait to see how much he plays.
Linebackers
Philip Wheeler (#50)
Gary Brackett (#58) - Leader of the defense. 99 tackles during the season even with the injuries.
Clint Session (#55) - Led team in tackles.
Cornerbacks
Kelvin Hayden (#26) - Only had one interception. Defending the Saints wide receivers will not be easy.
Jerraud Powers (#25) - Didn't play in AFC championship game because of foot injury.
Safeties
Melvin Bullitt (#33) - Strong Safety. Not consistent because of injuries.
Antoine Bethea (#41) - Free Safety. Started every single game.
It is going to be tough for this group to handle the speed and versatility of the Saints Offense. If they do, their counterparts on offense will need to come out and score. This should not be a problem. You'll see why tomorrow when I take a look at the Colts Offense.
Ciao!
Heels & Helmets
No comments:
Post a Comment