Indianapolis Colts’ defensive end Laiatu Latu will be active for the team’s Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears.
Latu was listed as questionable on Friday with a hip injury he suffered against the Green Bay Packers. Latu did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday but was limited on Friday.
The Colts’ defensive line depth is already going to be put to the test with DeForest Buckner on injured reserve. Having Latu available gives the Colts some added flexibility to line up Tyquan Lewis or Dayo Odeyingbo inside.
The matchup of the Colts’ run defense and the Bears’ rushing offense is a battle between two struggling units. We all know the issues that the Colts have had defensively, while on offense, the Bears rank 29th in yards per carry average at just 3.5.
The winner of this matchup will likely have the advantage when it comes to the game. For the Colts, slowing D’Andre Swift will allow the pass rush to pin its ears back against an offensive line that has given up the second most sacks. On the flip side, run game success for the Bears will put the offense in advantageous situations, and take some of the pressure off a passing game that hasn’t been able to get going.
Through two games, Latu has been the third member of the defensive end rotation, behind Kwity Paye and Lewis. The Colts have tried to get him on the field for obvious passing downs as much as possible.
On the stat sheet, Latu has been credited with only one pressure from PFF, but he ranks within the top-20 of all defensive ends in pass-rush win rate. While the production hasn’t quite come, consistently winning his matchups should ultimately lead to pressures and sacks.
As the game unfolds, we will see if Latu is on a snap count or if he’s a full-go.
