The Indianapolis Colts went from clapping to build support for the right-wing Pro Bowl candidacy Braden Smith to cheering because the former Auburn All-American will miss Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Indianapolis visits Pittsburgh in a heavy game with implications in the playoffs for both teams and other AFC teams as well, and the Colts were counting on Smith defeating NFL leader TJ Watt, as he did with all the other players this season.
But Smith will not play against Pittsburgh after Indianapolis put him in reserve / COVID-19 on Friday.
Smith did not give up a sack this season, and that type of game caused Antony Castonzo, the left offensive tackle from Indianapolis, to issue a Pro Bowl appeal on behalf of his teammate.
“We are going to start Braden Smith’s campaign for the Pro Bowl,” Castonzo told reporters at the end of his press conference on December 13. this as far as we can, we will push this because it is completely erasing. “
Colts coach Frank Reich supported the nomination.
“I don’t want to start naming names, but if you’re naming one of the guys that I think is one of the best right tackles in the league, it’s Braden Smith,” said Reich. “He has been a model of consistency in every game. I’m not sure if he had a bad day at practice or on Sunday. The guy is a stud. “
The grassroots campaign did not produce the desired result. Two attackers from the Indianapolis offensive line made the AFC roster on the Pro Bowl – pivot Ryan Kelly (a former Alabama standout) and point guard Quenton Nelson, but Smith did not.
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On Tuesday, Smith said it meant more to him to have his teammates and the coach speaking for him than making a star team would have.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about getting personal praise,” said Smith. “It’s always good to have that, but at the end of the day, our goal is to win a Super Bowl, and that’s a team thing. That is the great advantage of football. It is a team sport. …
“I think it is a greater honor to know that I have the respect of my coaches and my teammates. It means more to me than anything. “
The Colts added Smith in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, but not to play tackle. He had been an All-American selection of the top team by The Associated Press in 2017 on guard.
But injuries caused the Colts to put Smith on a right tackle in the fifth game of his debut season, and except for a game lost due to a thumb injury, he’s been there almost every time since.
“It was kind of crazy,” said Smith. “I never thought, honestly, that I was going to play tackle in the NFL. I just thought I would be a guard. I mean, I played a little bit in college, mainly how to practice and stuff. I had a start to my second year against Jacksonville State on the right tackle, so I didn’t have much experience with that. But as you get more years – I started out as a rookie in Week 5 – you just take every game and every year and you’re constantly learning from them. “
Castonzo said Smith had a natural basis for becoming a first-rate striker.
“The way he manages to get people out of the ball in the racing game is something he has been able to do since the moment he stepped on the pitch,” said Castonzo. “It’s amazing how he can be almost parallel to the ground without losing his balance. … I play with him, he’s lucky. It was built perfectly for this. As tall as he is, he has shorter legs and a longer torso, he manages to bend down. …
“Many weeks, Braden goes against the best player in the opposing defense. You don’t hear about Braden, and you don’t hear about the guy he’s playing against. “
Players can be placed in reserve / COVID-19 because they have returned a positive test or are considered a close contact with someone who did. The Colts do not reveal why a player joins the COVID-19 list.
Indianapolis’ main reserve, Le’Raven Clark, went into the reserve after suffering an Achilles tendon tear on December 6. This leaves Chaz Green and Will Holden to replace Smith. Injuries put Green on the field for 62 snaps in the 34-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers on 22 November and 64 snaps in the 26-20 victory over the Houston Texans on 6 December. Holden was hired by the Baltimore Ravens training squad after Clark was injured and did not play for the Colts.
To compound the Indianapolis problem with Smith are Castonzo’s injuries. He missed two days of practice this week with knee and ankle problems.
“We analyzed all the scenarios with Chaz and Will Holden and all the other combinations that we have,” said Reich on Friday. “We have a plan A, B and C depending on how things are going to happen on Sunday with regard to AC and its continued status, so everything is already planned. We’ll just have to see what it’s like on Sunday. “
Indianapolis won’t have to wait and see, it seems. On Saturday, the Colts declared Castonzo out for Sunday’s game.
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The Colts and Steelers are scheduled to start at noon Sunday CST at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers lost three consecutive games and dropped to 11-3. Despite the fall, Pittsburgh won a playoff position with two Sundays left for the regular season. A victory over Indianapolis would also end the AFC North title.
At 10-4, the Colts are tied with the Tennessee Titans for first place at AFC South. But the Titans hold the tie in Indianapolis and would win the division title and follow the game at home in the first round by defeating the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.
The Colts are also in contention for three wild card spots in the AFC playoffs. Indianapolis would win a spot as a wild card if they beat the Steelers and the Miami Dolphins lose to the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday night or the Baltimore Ravens lose to the New York Giants on Saturday.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @ AMarkG1.
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