Colts' Safety Making Waves in Coverage

The Indianapolis Colts barely got the victory over the New England Patriots 25-24 in week 13 to stay alive in the playoffs at 6-7. While Anthony Richardson's performance was the talk of the contest, the defense had attention to deal with in the worst way.

The Colts allowed New England to trample their defense, surrendering 422 total yards (222 passing and 200 rushing), but there were still bright spots in the stop troops. Safety Nick Cross' name is among the best in lockdown percentage from week 13 per Pro Football Focus. The definition is as follows:

"This metric focuses on coverage, measuring how well a defender prevents a receiver from getting open. It excludes plays where the defender intentionally gives up space to protect the first-down marker or limit yards after the catch."

Cross against the Patriots logged 88.89% on nine opportunities, second only to Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (90.91% on 11 opportunities). This is encouraging given that Cross hasn't played phenomenal coverage, posting a 60.1 coverage metric per PFF. However, it has to be highlighted that New England operated most of their passes through the tight ends and running backs.

Cross can hopefully carry this performance into the bye week and the game at Mile High against the Denver Broncos. So far this year, Cross has been one of the best defenders for Indy, with 125 tackles (five for loss), 1.0 sacks, two interceptions, and a forced fumble.

The former Maryland Terrapin has had a breakout campaign for Indianapolis and Gus Bradley's defense. Alongside Julian Blackmon, Cross will look to continue his frenetic pace as one of the most vibrant spots from the defensive as Indy fights for a playoff spot.