The Indianapolis Colts were an afterthought before 2018 kicked off, and the first few weeks of the season did nothing to suggest they should have been considered anything more. Frank Reich's team opened the season by losing five of its first six games, allowing at least 34 points in four of those contests. If any midseason turnaround was going to occur in Indianapolis, then, it was almost surely going to be as a result of Andrew Luck dragging an undermanned offense to respectability.
Wrong.
The Colts' defense was its greatest strength during the second half of the season, during which they emerged from the AFC South cellar to earn a Wild Card berth by winning nine of their last 10 games. Colts legend, Robert Mathis, was pleased with his unit's improvement but knows Indianapolis' defense is only scratching the surface of its potential.
“We exceeded a lot of expectations,” Mathis said last week during the lead up to Super Bowl LIII, per Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “People kind of said this was going to be a rebuild, but I never liked saying that word, I never accepted that. These players accepted the challenge, bought in early, and it was a top-10 defense at the end of the season. The sky’s the limit.”
Mathis' confidence is well-founded considering the youth of his defensive teammates. Linebacker Darius Leonard, a second-round pick, led the NFL in tackles by a comfortable margin as a rookie, also finishing with seven sacks. Defensive lineman Margus Hunt is finally living up to his do-everything potential, while fifth-year pass-rusher Denico Autry notched a career-high with nine sacks.
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