Colts Notebook: Down Two Secondary Starters For Packers

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INDIANAPOLIS – Just two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Colts had a lot of notable names on the injury report as we run down in our Colts notebook.

That, along with the expected absence of Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love, are key storylines for Sunday at 1:00

What is the latest on the Colts injury situation heading into Week 2?

• No practice this week for DT-DeForest Buckner (back), but Shane Steichen said he’s “very optimistic” about the veteran defensive tackle playing on Sunday. While Buckner has never missed a game with the Colts due to injury, he has played on a couple of occasions on pitch counts. In last year’s overtime loss to the Rams, this similar back injury limited Buckner to playing 20 of 82 snaps (Buckner also missed all of practice that week). The 24 percent snap count for Buckner was easily a season-low, with him typically hovering in the 75 percent range for a game. Will the Colts operate in that “3 ^rd down/red zone” type focus for Buckner on Sunday? Buckner is officially listed as questionable.

• Along with Buckner, S-Julian Blackmon (right shoulder) also missed all of practice this week. Remember a right shoulder injury last Christmas ended the 2023 season for Blackmon. Off-season surgery was not needed for Blackmon, but he did miss multiple games for the 4 ^th straight season. Shane Steichen said on Friday that he doesn’t think this shoulder injury is as severe. No Blackmon on Sunday will likely lead to some options we saw late last season. Nick Cross is a starter. And then the question becomes if you want Rodney Thomas II back at his normal free safety duties (putting Cross at strong safety), or the recently brought back Ronnie Harrison Jr. playing strong safety (putting Cross at free safety). I’d guess Thomas gets the nod there, but the Colts do have some options after bringing Harrison Jr. back to the practice squad this week. How big are the loss/or limited roles of Buckner and Blackmon? I had them both in my top-4 list of indispensable Colts before the season started.

• It’s a “we’ll see” on WR-Josh Downs (ankle). It was 3 days of practice work this week for Downs. This week marked Downs’ first practice action in 5 weeks. The second-year wideout said in order to play he needed to be cutting and moving without thinking about his injured ankle. Downs is officially listed as questionable, but he did bump up to being a full participant at Friday’s practice.

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• Matt Gay (hernia) is about two weeks removed from having surgery for his injured hernia, but he will kick on Sunday, according to Shane Steichen. Gay has actually kicked at Lambeau on 3 separate occasions (in November, December and January), making all 5 of his field goal attempts and 3-of-4 on extra points.

• Kwity Paye (hamstring) practiced on Friday, his first action of the week. Any Friday practice activity is usually a good sign for a player offering some role in that upcoming game. Week 1, Paye played 52 of 79 defensive snaps, the most of any Indy defensive end. Expanded roles for Tyquan Lewis (52 snaps in Week 1), Laiatu Latu (31 snap) and Dayo Odeyingbo (29 snaps) will definitely be needed, if Paye can’t go.  Paye lost some weight this offseason, wanting to play a tad smaller in order to be fresher late into games. In his 4-year career, injuries have caused Paye to miss 8 of 52 games. Paye is officially listed as questionable, after practicing limited on Friday.

• Remember no CB-JuJu Brents (knee) for the Colts moving forward . How they will replace Brents remains a question. We know Kenny Moore II and Jaylon Jones aren’t coming off the field. They played all 79 snaps in Week 1, whereas Brents played 62 against the Texans. On the roster options include Dallis Flowers (5 career starts) and Samuel Womack (1 start). Flowers, compared to Womack, has more history as an outside corner. But Womack has stressed he can play outside corner, when the Colts claimed him from the 49ers a few weeks back.

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