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Colts: Injury Bug Has Thinned the Secondary

By Dave McKee

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The Colts secondary may be vulnerable against the New York Jets. Thanks to a string of injuries, one-half of the squad that makes up the #NoFlyZone may be grounded for Monday Night Football.

The Colts were lucky coming out of training camp with only a few minor injuries. Since the fourth preseason game, the Colts have lost two running backs,  Boom Herron and Vick Ballard, defensive end Arthur Jones. Those three injuries were disappointing but manageable. The recent outbreak of injuries in the secondary is a serious concern for Indianapolis.

–= Related: Why the Colts Should Sign Bradshaw =–

On Friday, the Indianapolis Colts announced they have added rookie D’Joun Smith to the IR-DTR list for a knee injury. He is not done for the season but will miss a minimum of eight weeks. On the standard, non-injury impacted depth chart Smith was the #4 cornerback. In his place, rookie Eric Patterson was called up from the practice squad.

Starting Nickel CB Darius Butler has missed all three practices leading up to Saturday with a hip injury. Greg Toler is still suffering from a strained neck which suffered in the preseason and has also missed all three practices this week. Butler started week one in place of the injured Greg Toler.

Star cornerback Vontae Davis remains the lone healthy cornerback in the secondary with any significant experience. The Colts may have to rely on training camp sensation Jalil Brown and Eric Patterson for a significant amount of snaps against the New York Jets on Monday night.

Former Ball State Cardinal, Eric Patterson flashed potential throughout training camp and the preseason. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the New England Patriots and was waived in June. In college, Patterson was an impact player for Ball State totalling 124 solo tackles, 23 pass deflections and six interceptions. Patterson has the skills and raw abilities to become a solid NFL player, but his is still raw. Any snaps he sees on Monday night could go a long way in accelerating his development.

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Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CFB: (*=bowl stats included)

Jalil Brown is coming off a full offseason with the Colts. During an interview with George Bremer of the Herald Bulletin, Brown credited the full offseason for his improved performance.  Brown made a name for himself in training camp as a ballhawk. He had five interceptions in training camp and added another two in the preseason. The 27-year old has bounced around the league from Kansas City to Indianapolis to Miami and back to Indianapolis. This time around, Brown has solidified his role as the fifth cornerback. Now he has a chance to start if Toler, Butler, and Smith are unavailable. It would not be a surprise if he snags an errant pass against the Jets if he is active on the field.

With a thinned out secondary the “No Fly Zone” may have a few holes in its coverage, but that can be easily corrected by scheme adjustments. Look for Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky to send extra pressure on the Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets boast a strong running game which will require a stout defense at the line of scrimmage which will force the secondary closer to the line of scrimmage. If Manusky so chooses, he could dial up the blitz and force Fitzpatrick to get rid of the ball quickly.

Be sure to check back for more Colts coverage all season long at InkonIndy.com

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