Sauce Gardner
Sauce Gardner
The Indianapolis Colts are 2-2 and enter Week 5 on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Indianapolis has had an alright first four games, aside from losing to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, 41-23. A major negative has been their defense, especially against the pass. The Colts are ranked 29th in pass defense, allowing 261.2 passing yards per game. In Week 2, they lost to the Kansas City [Chiefs](http://"But it was definitely an embarrassing watch," Gardner said. "To just look back at that tape, it was like my effort when the ball is on the other side, it was like an embarrassing watch, an embarrassing feeling." "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.") 33-30 in a crazy overtime game.
Their defense struggled against the Chiefs in crunch time, partly due to their defensive backfield. They have good players like cornerback Sauce Gardner, but even he hasn’t done that well. Against the Washington Commanders in Week 4, Gardner did have two tackles and a pass defended, which is solid. But he did give up 117 yards and a touchdown on four catches. The passer rating against Gardner was 156.3. Gardner spoke about his effort in that game against Washington.
“I wasn’t giving my best effort. I wasn’t really giving my best effort in the run game,” Sauce Gardner said during the week. “But it was definitely an embarrassing watch,” Gardner added. “To just look back at that tape, it was like my effort when the ball is on the other side; it was like an embarrassing watch, an embarrassing feeling.” “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.”
Will Colts vs. Steelers Be the Bounce-Back Game for Sauce Gardner?
Sauce Gardner
Oct 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) makes a catch over Cleveland Browns cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) in the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Now, on Sunday against Pittsburgh, Sauce Gardner will be tasked with covering receivers like DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson, and Germie Bernard. Metcalf is the more seasoned of the bunch, being a veteran in the league. Metcalf, at 6’4 229 pounds, presents a challenge for Gardner. Metcalf is physical at the point of attack, but Gardner has finesse to his game at cornerback. Sauce Gardner has a size equalizer too, standing at 6’3. So far this season, Metcalf has 16 catches for 213 yards and one touchdown. Wilson has 14 catches for 188 yards and two touchdowns.
Sauce Gardner excells at man coverage but also does well in zone. The Colts play zone coverage the majority of the time, running man coverage at 29.9%, according to Pro Football Focus. They’re facing one of the best in the NFL, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so it’ll be a tough go. Gardner is a talented cornerback. He’s a former defensive rookie of the year with the New York Jets and an All-Pro and Pro Bowler. He was traded from the Jets to Indianapolis late last season for two first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
Sauce Gardner has been with the Colts long enough to adjust. So if it’s a matter of effort, as he alluded to, then that’s a point of emphasis to work on. He needs to get back to being the Sauce Gardner of his rookie year in the NFL. If he could get even close to that, then the Colts’ secondary will be better off for it. This is the game where he can get things back on track.
The Last Word
Sauce Garnder and the Colts’ secondary faces a tough battle ahead, but it starts with him setting the tone. The better he plays, the better chance they have to be effective defensively.
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Main Image: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images