1 week Ago By George Bremer CNHI Sports Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS -- It seemed to be immediate recall for Grant Stuard. “UConn, 2019,” he said when asked if he remembered the last time he’d produced a tackling total quite like Sunday’s surprising output against the Miami Dolphins. He overshot the total a tad, however, according to ESPN.
While a junior at the University of Houston, Stuard estimated he made 18 stops in the 24-17 victory against the Huskies almost exactly five years earlier on Oct. 19, 2019. The official total was 15, including six solo stops and two tackles for loss.
But now there’s a fresh memory to take its place. During the Indianapolis Colts’ 16-10 win at Lucas Oil Stadium, Stuard recorded a career-high 18 tackles with 11 solo stops and an additional assisted tackle on special teams. It’s the third-highest total for a Colts defender since the franchise moved to Indiana in 1984 and the most since Shaquille Leonard posted 19 tackles as a rookie on the road against the Washington Commanders in 2018.
Perhaps more remarkably, it’s the first time the special teams ace has played snaps on defense this season. A knee injury to starting linebacker E.J.
Speed moved Stuard into the base defensive package, and an ankle injury for rookie Jaylon Carlies early in the game added sub packages to Stuard’s duties. He responded with a performance for the ages. “My mind was set on playing defense today, for sure, but definitely not that much,” Stuard said.
“It was kind of crazy.” Snap counts aren’t yet available for Sunday’s game, but Stuard came in with 57 career defensive snaps over four seasons with the Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Dolphins running 68 plays, he potentially matched or exceeded that total in a single game.
His career high for tackles in a season was 15 as a rookie with the Bucs in 2021, but he never doubted he could make an impact against Miami. “I was confident about some of the calls that (defensive coordinator) Gus (Bradley) had up this week,” Stuard said. “I knew I could play more to my strengths.
I knew I could be aggressive on some calls. I knew I had to be passive on some other ones, depending on my responsibility. I just felt really prepared this week.
” Stuard had no idea how productive his day had been until he glanced at a stat sheet in the postgame locker room. His calf was cramping late in the game, and he let Liam Anderson – called up from the practice squad Saturday for insurance against the thin linebacker depth chart – know to be ready just in case. But there was no way Stuard was coming out of the game if he was physically able to finish.
“For me, it’s all about energy,” Stuard said. “It’s all about effort, enthusiasm. And I always kind of figure out that if I’m flying around, making plays, exerting energy, it gives me more energy, rather than trying to be passive because I’m on special teams and defense, all that type of stuff.
“But just pedal to the metal every play is kind of how I do it. And I think that that energy was contagious within the team.” Anthony Richardson matched a season high with 56 rushing yards Sunday, and his 14 carries were by far the most this season.
Nine of those rushing attempts came in the second half as the Colts scored 13 points to rally for the victory. It was the most active the 22-year-old quarterback has been in the run game this year and perhaps a bit of a surprise coming off a two-week absence because of an oblique injury. But Richardson also showed some growth, sliding on a couple of occasions to avoid unnecessary contact.
It’s a balance he’s still working to perfect but not one he thinks much about in the heat of the moment. “It’s just football,” Richardson said. “Sometimes if I see two or three more defenders coming, I just try get down.
If I feel like I can get some more space and if it’s one-on-one, I try to take advantage of it. But it’s just football. (I’m) just out there running, playing.
” In addition to Speed, running back Jonathan Taylor missed his third straight game because of a knee injury. Cornerback Chris Lammons (ankle) also did not play because of injury. Carlies was the only player announced with an injury during the game.
.
