INDIANAPOLIS — Next man up.
That’s been the philosophy all season for the Indianapolis Colts — a philosophy that every man on the roster plays an important role. A philosophy that if a starter goes down with injury, the next man up will do just as good a job.
That philosophy was put to the ultimate test Sunday, as the Colts were without the services of defenders Tyjuan Hagler, Marlin Jackson and 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders.
The trio was placed on the injured reserve list during the week after suffering season-ending injuries.
With those players out, it just opened up the possibility for others — Melvin Bullitt and Jerraud Powers in particular — to make their impression felt.
And what an impression they made, as Powers finished with 10 tackles and an interception, while Bullitt added seven tackles to help lead the Colts defense in their 20-17 victory over the Houston Texans.
“We’ve been having some guys out all year, and we have two rookie cornerbacks,” Bullitt said. “Losing Bob is always a big blow, but someone has to step up.”
That defense shined early, limiting Houston to just a 56-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. That 13-3 halftime advantage could have been much smaller, however, if it weren’t for Powers.
“We’ve been screaming since (the preseason) a next-man-up philosophy around here,” Powers said. “We looked at it as an opportunity. It was unfortunate we had a lot of guys go out this week, but the next guy up is a big opportunity for us and we just wanted to step up to the challenge and make some plays.”
With the clock coming up against the 2:00 warning, Houston’s Ryan Moats fumbled the ball near the Colts’ end zone.
Alertly noting that Antoine Bethea had knocked the ball loose, Powers leapt back onto the field to corral the loose ball, keeping the Texans from scoring and giving the ball back to the offense.
“I just knew I had to get back in bounds,” Powers said. “Antoine made a heck of a play.”
Though the Texans rallied for two second-half touchdowns to take a 17-13 lead into the fourth quarter, that defense was called upon to come up with one final stop to preserve the victory.
Houston would move down the field to set up a potential game-tying field goal in the final seconds.
Next man up — even on special teams.
Bullitt and rookie Jacob Lacey didn’t get up enough to block Kris Brown’s potential game-tying 42-yard field goal.
But they did get enough pressure to force Brown to push the kick just wide, preserving the victory for Indianapolis.
“If we heard the crowd cheer, we knew,” Lacey said.
Colts
Related Photos
-
Darron Cummings
Discussion
Colts buying into 'Next Man Up' philosophy
Every player fills an important role
- Colts
-
-
George Bremer: In with Orton, out of Luck?
There really is no offseason anymore in the National Football League.
The Indianapolis Colts haven’t played a game since Jan. 1, but look at all the headlines they’ve generated since that date. -
Mathis, Freeney making strides in shift to OLB
Late in Wednesday’s practice at the Indianapolis Colts training facility, outside linebacker Robert Mathis backpedaled into the end zone, shadowing tight end Coby Fleener on a wheel route.
When the ball was thrown, Mathis broke first and knocked the pass harmlessly to the ground. His defensive teammates were quick to surround him in celebration. -
Colts QB coach: Luck already impressing
Andrew Luck was some 2,300 miles away from the Indianapolis Colts’ practice facility on Wednesday. But the former Stanford star still was a major topic of conversation on the final day of this week’s organized team activities.
-
Former Arabian prepares for Pac-12 championships, cheers Luck
Stanford sophomore Ellie McCardwell was in the training room with some of the Cardinal’s football players two weeks ago when the Indianapolis Colts selected university legend Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
A two-time state champion in the pole vault at Pendleton Heights, McCardwell said she’ll never forget the reaction as Stanford athletes around the room cheered one of their own. -
Colts to hold camp at AU again
The Colts ended months of speculation Monday by announcing they will hold training camp at Anderson University this summer for the third straight year. Players are scheduled to report July 28, and the first practice will take place July 29.
-
Colts rookie Chapman just happy to be here
Not many players get excited about the mundane details of football. Not many openly hope to face double-team blockers. Not many play through serious injury. But Indianapolis Colts rookie Josh Chapman is not like many players.
-
George Bremer: Could T.Y. come to rescue?
T.Y. Hilton understands what it takes to build a football program from the ground up.
-
Luck improves on Day 2
The Indianapolis Colts don’t have much time with Andrew Luck this week, but they intend to make the most of it. A day after earning near universal praise for his ability to pick up and execute complex offensive terms, Luck was thrown another bagful of new concepts Saturday. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
-
New era dawns with Colts rookie camp
By the time owner Jim Irsay rolled up to the sideline driving a golf cart Friday afternoon, it was abundantly clear this was no ordinary rookie mini-camp for the Indianapolis Colts. ESPN and the NFL Network each sent reporters to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, and they were joined by about a dozen other reporters and photographers from various local media outlets. Everyone was on hand to get a glimpse of the future — the first on-field look at No. 1 overall pick Andrew Luck.
-
Freeney adjusting to new OLB role
Dwight Freeney has been the subject of rampant offseason speculation.
With the Indianapolis Colts transitioning to a 3-4 defense, Freeney is slated to move from the defensive end position he’s played for the past 11 years back a few steps to outside linebacker. - More Colts Headlines
-
