Matt Eberflus and the Indianapolis Colts set a lofty goal for the 2020 NFL season in picking up 40 takeaways as a defensive unit, and they seem to be right on pace.
That’s after six defensive takeaways through the Colts first three games versus the Jaguars, Vikings, and Jets. A big part of that number so far has been new Cornerback Xavier Rhodes. The former Viking appeared on The Ride with JMV on Monday to discuss his two interception game against Sam Darnold and New York in Week 3. He took his first interception of the game to the house in the first quarter to get Indianapolis on the board.
“I just played my man on 3rd down,” Rhodes said. “When the ball was coming I reacted to it in the air, ended up catching it then tried to follow my blocks and not run into anyone on the Jets.”
This past Sunday ultimately became a highlight day for Rhodes and the Colts, as they even outscored the Jets offense with 16 total defensive points. With a major test coming in Week 4 against former Super Bowl Champion Nick Foles and the 3-0 Bears, the Indianapolis defensive unit will continue to look towards the 40 takeaway target. If they were to get to there, they would be the first team to hit that number since 2012 when the Bears and New England Patriots both accomplished that feat.
“It all starts in practice throughout the whole week,” Rhodes mentioned. “That’s one thing that Coach Eberflus has been emphasizing in ripping the ball, catching the ball, punching the ball, doing everything you possibly can to get the offense back on the field and put points on the board. We need to continue practicing it and hopefully it shows up in the game.”
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