The Colts' defense has yet to be a fully-formed version of itself, at least from a personnel standpoint, in 2025.
The last time defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, cornerback Kenny Moore II and cornerback Charvarius Ward Sr. played together was late September. By the time Moore returned from an Achilles' injury sustained in that Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans, Ward was on injured reserve with a concussion sustained during pre-game warmups ahead of Week 6. And when Ward made it back for the Colts' Week 12 game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Buckner was into his second of a minimum four games on injured reserve due to a neck injury.
Throw in the addition of cornerback Sauce Gardner ahead of Week 10, and now the calf injury he sustained early in Week 13, and the Colts have had to dip into their depth at some critical positions this season.
But that's the nature of the NFL, a league in which teams that handle attrition the best often have the best shot at contending.
"It's a part of our league," defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. "It's a part of our league that every team has to deal with in one shape, form or fashion. So, you move on. ... I think the beauty of our place is we have depth and we trust the guys that are out there."
At defensive tackle, Adetomiwa Adebawore has played at least 44 snaps in each of the Colts' last three games, which is a significant uptick for the 2023 fourth-round pick. He's generated 13 pressures in the last three games, per Pro Football Focus, tied with defensive end Laiatu Latu for the most on the Colts since Week 10. Veteran defensive tackle Neville Gallimore has seen his snap share tick up a bit without Buckner, too.
And at cornerback, the Colts looked to Jaylon Jones (31 snaps) and Mekhi Blackmon (46 snaps) to fill in for Gardner against the Texans.
Buckner is eligible – but not guaranteed – to come off injured reserve in Week 15, and while head coach Shane Steichen didn't have a timetable for Gardner's return, he said Monday injured reserve (which would sideline him for a minimum four games) was not something the Colts were considering.
Still, for Anarumo – and for most other coordinators around the NFL – the next few weeks will be about continuing to seek solutions on defense without key a key contributor or two for a critical stretch of the season.
"It's unfortunate with Sauce – play two, he goes down," Anarumo said. "We certainly had some things cooked up, but you adjust. We have faith in the guys that are coming in the game with JJ (Jaylon Jones) and Mekhi, and you adjust when a guy like Buck goes down. So, I just think everybody in the league deals with injuries. We're no different. You just got to be able to adapt and overcome those things and try to do what the guys do best. It may change a little bit, but you try not to change the whole thing from a structural standpoint."
