Evaluating Sauce Gardner's Colts Debut Against Falcons

Gardner's first game as a Colt saw him tasked with stopping the top Falcons pass-catcher, Drake London.

London is one of the best in the NFL, and he poses a threat to any cornerback or safety that covers him on the gridiron. While Gardner had some moments of struggle, overall, he played well in coverage.

Per Pro Football Focus, Gardner put up a coverage grade of 64.9, which ranked third on the team. One play did stand out as a letup. Gardner didn't adjust in coverage, which led to London torching the linebacker Germaine Pratt for a touchdown.

Gardner can be given grace for this. Considering how quickly he had to try and understand the complex scheme of Anarumo on just a few days' notice, forgiveness is deserved.

Later in the game, Gardner improved his approach and nearly took away a pass from QB Michael Penix to London, ultimately resulting in a pass breakup.

Overall, Gardner put up a solid display of coverage and was tasked with stopping a fantastic receiver in London. Expect Gardner to improve as he learns the defense of Anarumo.

Once fellow lockdown cornerback Charvarius Ward returns from injured reserve, this will only give Gardner even more chances to make a significant impact.

Tackling

Cornerbacks aren't necessarily known for being the best tacklers, but Gardner has been solid in that regard throughout his career.

Against the Falcons, Gardner maintained that great skill.

Gardner secured a season-high six tackles, with four being solo. This is encouraging to see, and displays that Gardner is more than just a coverage-specialist.

Gardner's 79.8 PFF tackling grade was third-best on the team. He also didn't miss any tackle attempts.

Gardner is efficient at bringing down ball-carriers and will look to keep up that consistency for the rest of Indy's impressive 2025 season.

Run Defense

Lastly is Gardner's evaluation against the run. Versus Atlanta, he looked great for a cornerback and provided support for an Indy defense that was getting beat up front.

Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier put up solid metrics in the absence of DeForest Buckner, tallying 28 total carries for 141 rushing yards and a pair of scores (Allgeier).

Gardner was a good reinforcement and posted a PFF grade of 73.3, which was the best of anyone on the Colts' defense.

It's encouraging that Gardner is willing to do the dirty work against opposing ground attacks, as it will be much needed since Buckner is on injured reserve with a neck injury.

The Bottom Line

Gardner's performance against the Falcons in his Colts debut wasn't perfect, but if anyone expected it to be on such short notice with a complex playbook, that's delusional.

Gardner is a massive weapon for Anarumo to implement and will drastically help the Colts' pass rush by stifling receivers off the line of scrimmage.

Once Ward returns from injured reserve, the Colts will have a duo of true CB1s and will make life hard on offensive passing attacks.

Gardner's performance against the Falcons was encouraging and is a sign that he can quickly adjust, learn, and display abilities that merit consideration as the NFL's top cornerback.