Indianapolis Colts linebacker EJ Speed will be active for the team’s Week 11 matchup with the New York Jets.
After playing 100 percent of the defensive snaps against Buffalo in Week 10, Speed popped up on the injury report as he dealt with a knee injury. Speed was limited on Wednesday and Thursday, but a full participant on Friday.
While we don’t know the specifics of this knee issue that Speed was working through, it was a knee injury that kept him out of the team’s Week 7 matchup with Miami.
With Speed avaialble, the Colts can maintain what has become their normal linebacker rotation over the last few weeks with Jaylon Carlies out. When in nickel, which will be the majority of the snaps, Speed will line up next to Zaire Franklin.
Then when the Colts go into their base 4-3 look, Grant Stuard will come on as the third linebacker, joining Speed and Franklin.
Speed has totaled 79 total tackles this season for the Colts and seven quarterback pressures as a blitzer. He’s forced one pass breakup in coverage and came away with his first interception off of Josh Allen last week.
Although the Colts being on a three-game losing streak, the defense has held its own, and done so against some good opponents.
A key factor in this game for the Colts’ defense will be limiting Breece Hall in the run game. If the Colts can accomplish that, there is then a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the defense, with the Jets offense then routinely having to deal with long down-and-distance situations, which is advantageous for the defense.
