INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts have routinely been at their best on pass defense when cornerbacks Greg Toler and Vontae Davis are on the field together.
They’ll have to make do without one those cornerbacks against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
And it just happens to be the one who is having a Pro Bowl season and hasn’t given up a touchdown in his last 942 snaps.
Colts coach Chuck Pagano officially ruled out Davis for Sunday’s game on Friday because of a concussion. Davis suffered the concussion in the second half of last weekend’s game against the Washington Redskins. He has to go through the NFL’s concussion protocol before he’s cleared to play.
“We’ve been there before,” Pagano said. “We have capable guys who have practiced well this week. They can go in and play and play at a high level. We don’t have a choice right now.”
Darius Butler is expected to start opposite of Toler on Sunday.
The problems will start once the Browns go to a three-wide set, and Butler slides to the inside on the slot receiver.
There’s a drastic -- very drastic in fact -- drop off in the depth department between Toler, Davis, Butler and Josh Gordy, the team’s fourth cornerback.
Houston, Pittsburgh and Washington constantly picked on Gordy when he's gotten extension playing time. Opposing quarterbacks are 18-of-28 for 305 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions throwing Gordy’s way this season.
Gordy is about the last available option for the Colts because they released promising rookie Loucheiz Purifoy for discipline reasons on Thanksgiving. The fourth cornerback is currently Jalil Brown, and he’s questionable on Sunday because of an ankle injury. Safety Colt Anderson can play cornerback if needed.
Enter Browns receiver Josh Gordon and the opportunity for Cleveland to have big plays.
Gordon has shown little rust since returning from his suspension. He’s been targeted 29 out of 78 pass attempts in the two games he’s played. He’s got 15 catches for 195 yards in two games.
It’s not as simple as the Colts automatically having Toler shadow Gordon. That’s not their defensive philosophy. Outside of some snaps against the Steelers, Toler has routinely lined up on the left side of the field.
“Not a preference, per se, more of a player’s preference,” Colts defensive coordinator Greg Manusky said. “Sometimes from a backpedal standpoint they feel more comfortable with the sideline to the right or the sideline to the left. Some guys can flip over. My career and other places that I’ve been, we’ve been able to flip guys. Some guys just feel more comfortable playing that way. You don’t want to take a guy out of the mix.”
Pagano didn’t rule having Toler line up opposite of Gordon if needed.
“I think every game is different, and I think it’s what you have available to you,” Pagano said. “It’s all about matchups in the National Football League. If we feel like there’s a matchup issue and we need to do something different, then we’ll certainly take a look at it and give it some thought and go down that road if we need to.”
