It has been a great start to the season for the Indianapolis Colts, and people are starting to believe in them. However, they’ve hit a speed bump as Samson Ebukam could miss several games, according to a post on X by Jeremy Fowler.
“Colts pass rusher Samson Ebukam is expected to miss multiple weeks with an MCL injury, per sources. Ebukam, who has two sacks this season, is getting a second opinion.”
The Colts are 6-1 on the season and appear to have one of the NFL’s best teams. But it’s mostly because of their offense, and the play of Jonathan Taylor. And a blow to the defense won’t help them stay among the league’s elite teams.
Colts' defense getting hit by injuries
First, the Colts lost Tyquan Lewis in Sunday’s game against the Chargers. Then Ebukam left the game. Lewis had three sacks and four tackles for loss on the season.
Ebukam led the Colts with 9.5 sacks in 2023, but missed the 2024 season with Achilles injury. This season, along with the sacks, Ebukam added 10 total tackles, three for loss, six quarterback hits, and 18 pressures.
Still, the Colts were able to put together a good performance against the Chargers in the 38-24 win. Included in the mix was a key interception by safety Nick Cross before halftime. It helped a lot, according to colts.com.
“That's the type of play our defense needed,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “Nick's having a great year. He made a big play in a big-time moment, like we expect him to.”
Safety Cam Bynum added, “Just being able to turn the ball over, first and foremost, that's always going to lead us closer to wins. Also, us not having the greatest game leading up to it — but when we need it, the best players (play) well and (make) plays.”
And the pass rush stayed strong even with the injuries. DeForest Buckner added a pair of late sacks.
“It was definitely big, especially in that last drive, in critical moments,” Buckner said. “As a rusher and a player, you want your best players to make those plays in those big-time moments, and I was able to do that today. Shout out to the rest of the guys doing their job and the back end holding up and allowing me to have time to get there.”
