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INDIANAPOLIS – Even before the final month of the 2019 season, one was foolish to question the importance of Kenny Moore to the Colts.
Any list of the most indispensable Colts should have already had Moore’s name on it.
But in case there were any lingering doubters, Moore’s absence for the final 4 and a half games of the 2019 season saw the Colts get exposed.
With Moore suffering an ankle injury that unexpectedly didn’t allow him to play again in 2019, quarterback after quarterback took advantage.
–It was Ryan Tannehill attacking the backup nickel spot for a game-clinching touchdown.
–It was Jameis Winston having a career afternoon.
–It was Drew Brees setting an NFL record.
–And it was Gardner Minshew torching the Colts, as well.
“To replace a Kenny Moore with another guy is tough,” Chris Ballard said at the end of the 2019 season.
The Colts had no suitable answer in place of Moore, who never thought his third season in the NFL would end when he went down in Week 13 with an ankle injury.
Moore, who had not previously been sidelined for a long stretch in his football career, thought he would be back on the field in just a few weeks, ready for primetime against Brees and the Saints.
“Not being able to do that, I feel like I let myself down,” Moore said at the end of 2019.
In starting as an outside corner in the base defense, and also being a playmaker out of the slot corner when the nickel package comes onto the field, Moore’s value is immense.
Matt Eberflus has frequently mentioned that the nickel spot (occupied by Moore) and the WILL linebacker position (where Darius Leonard lines up) are the ‘hot spots’ in this 4-3 defense, as they see the most traffic.
Without Moore available, an already shaky Colts defense had zero answers.
It just reinforced how much Moore means to the Colts.
“I don’t want to underestimate the loss of Kenny Moore,” Ballard says. “I think you all know my thoughts on Kenny Moore. I think he’s the best nickel in the league, for what he does. I think time will prove me right on that. I think he’s a real special player. We had a major drop off when we lost Kenny.”
Moore, 24, signed a 4-year extension with the Colts last offseason, keeping him under contract through the 2023 season.
