Colts’ Sauce Gardner officially ruled out for critical Jaguars game

In an effort to bolster their pass defense, the Indianapolis Colts made a blockbuster trade for Sauce Gardner. However, injuries have put Gardner’s Colts debut on hold.

The cornerback has been ruled out for the Week 14’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. Gardner suffered a calf strain in Week 13 against the Houston Texans.

The Colts opted to not place him on injured reserve, meaning they expect him to make his return within four weeks. Still, Indianapolis will be carefully monitoring their prized trade acquisition’s calf injury. At least for Week 14, the staff decided that Gardner was incapable of suiting up.

The defensive back has appeared in three games for the Colts since his trade. He’s mustered up 13 tackles and two passes defended. Gardner has 33 tackles and eight passes defended including his seven games with the New York Jets. Furthermore, Gardner has earned an overall grade of 75. 1 from Pro Football Focus, ranking 11th/110 cornerbacks.

Needless to say, his absence will be a major blow to the Colts’ defense. They enter Week 14 ranked 27th in pass defense, allowing 246.3 yards per game. The Jaguars rank 21st in passing offense, averaging 202.8 YPG. However, the Colts cannot take them lightly in Week 14.

After their ferocious start to the season, Indianapolis has dropped two straight to fall to to 8-4. On the flip side, Jacksonville’s three game win streak has lifted their record up to a matching 8-4. The winner of Week 14’s matchup will have control of the AFC South.

While the Colts remain optimistic about Gardner’s long-term outlook, his Week 14 status will send massive waves throughout the division battle.

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