INDIANAPOLIS – You ask Vontae Davis and a smile is all you're going to get when asking the cornerback if he told the coaching staff he wanted to shadow Houston's DeAndre Hopkins this past Sunday.
When the Pro Bowlers were lined up across from each other on Sunday night, Davis was very effective in limiting Hopkins.
Per Pro Football Focus, in plays with Davis covering Hopkins, the Colts Pro Bowl corner allowed just four catches in eight targets for 31 yards on Sunday. Davis' third-quarter interception also came when covering Hopkins.
Houston quarterback Brock Osweiler had a paltry quarterback rating of 20.3 when throwing in Davis' direction.
"I thought Vontae did a great job on (Hopkins)," Chuck Pagano said after reviewing the film from Sunday.
For Hopkins to wiggle away from Davis, the Texans lined up their Pro Bowl wideout in the slot, where Davis did not follow him.
Using Davis as a shadow is something the Colts could definitely employ in the second half of the season.
While a clear-cut No. 1 receiver isn't on the upcoming Colts schedule, there's a three-week stretch in the second half of 2016 that makes plenty of sense in having Davis shadow.
In consecutive weeks later this season, the Colts will see the Steelers' Antonio Brown, the Jets' Brandon Marshall and a rematch with Hopkins and the Texans.
Look for the Davis shadow to be revealed a couple more times this season.
