Sauce Gardner didn’t duck the truth after a rough Week 4. He owned it.
The Indianapolis Colts cornerback, acquired midway through last season for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell, was expected to play at that kind of premium level. Instead, against the Washington Commanders, he gave up more than 100 receiving yards while matched up with a third-string quarterback.
Gardner had pointed to communication issues after the game and also suggested rookie safety AJ Haulcy was a major part of the problem. But when he met with the media on Wednesday, he took a different route.
"There was multiple plays where my effort was not there," Gardner said. "That's not what I stand for.
That's not the type of person I am. That's not the type of player I am.
And that'll never happen again... When I'm loafing, and then I'm seeing (a defensive lineman) slide past me, it's like, 'Bro, that's embarrassing.'
Yeah, that's unacceptable."
That kind of self-criticism fits Gardner better than the version that showed up in Week 4. He hasn’t built his reputation by looking disengaged, and over the course of his career, he’s been one of the league’s best at his position.
His career quarterback rating allowed sits at 79.5, a strong number for any corner. He’s also been reliable enough as a tackler, missing on 12.8 percent of his attempts.
For a cornerback, that’s a solid mark. It’s also the kind of detail that cuts against the idea that Gardner is a player who coasts. He takes on contact and does the work that comes with it.
The encouraging part for Indianapolis is that Gardner’s worst outing came in a win. The Colts still got past a weakened Washington team, even with Gardner off his game and Daniel Jones not exactly lighting it up either.
But both players need to be better going forward. Gardner is the safer bet to bounce back.
Jones is the bigger concern. Over his last nine games, dating back to last season, he has turned the ball over 15 times, and that kind of number won’t get the Colts where they want to go.
Gardner gets a quick chance to clean it up in Week 5, when the Colts face the Pittsburgh Steelers. That means matchups with former Colts wideout Michael Pittman Jr. and DK Metcalf, a stage where Gardner can answer the questions the way he usually does: by showing just how elite he is.
In Other News...
Colts Sideline Debate Just Got Bigger At A Delicate Time
Carlie Irsay-Gordons habit of planting herself on the Colts sideline has become one of the more unusual talking points around the team, especially as she continues to work in plain view with a playbook in hand and notes at the ready. The principal owner and CEO has framed her approach as part of being an attentive leader, saying in an interview that listening and understanding matter, which fits the image she has presented during games.
But the conversation around her presence has widened, and not everyone views it as harmless curiosity. Bill Simmons questioned the sideline involvement on his podcast, adding another layer to a discussion that is already unfolding at a delicate point in the season, with Indianapolis sitting at 2-2 and trying to keep its focus on football rather than the attention orbiting above it. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Khalil Mack Decision Fans Can't Ignore
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Still, any potential move is not entirely in the Colts hands. Mack also carries a no-trade clause, so he would have to sign off on any deal, and the Chargers would likely want draft compensation in return if they are willing to listen at all. That leaves Indianapolis weighing a familiar NFL dilemma: whether to pay for immediate help now or hold its picks and trust the current rotation to survive the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Add A Familiar Pass Rusher With Anarumo Ties
The Colts added a familiar edge presence to the practice squad on Wednesday, bringing in veteran defensive end Carl Lawson as they continue sorting through their pass-rush depth. Lawson arrives with a clear connection to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo from their time together in Cincinnati, which gives Indianapolis a built-in level of familiarity as the team looks to fortify the front seven.
Lawson has been around plenty of NFL locker rooms over his eight-year career, with stops in Baltimore, New York, and Dallas in addition to his years with the Bengals. He has 32 sacks to his name, and the question now is whether that experience and Anarumo familiarity can quickly translate into a larger opportunity in Indianapolis. [Read more 🡒]