Gary Brackett is your AFC Defensive Player of the Week

by Brad Wells on Oct 8, 2008 4:30 PM EDT in Colts News

Gary Brackett makes big plays. Gary Brackett is THE leader of the Colts defense. Gary Brackett, outside of Bob Sanders and Dwight Freeney, is one of the most important players the Colts have on defense. So, when I look on message boards, I chuckle when I see topics that say "CUT BRACKETT" because they are clearly made by idiots who do not know or understand the Colts. Gary Brackett is an oustanding Cover 2 middle line backer, and today the NFL recognized that.

This past Sunday, Gary Brackett made a memorable play that kept the Colts from slipping two games under .500 for the first time in seven seasons.

On Wednesday, Brackett was honored for the effort.

Brackett, a sixth-year veteran middle linebacker, on Sunday returned a fumble 68 yards for a key touchdown in the Colts’ come-from-behind, 31-27 victory over the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. On Wednesday, Brackett was named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Brackett, who played collegiately at Rutgers and who also is the Colts’ defensive captain, scored his third career touchdown on a bizarre play that helped the Colts rally from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Gary Brackett is a stud, and anyone who does not appreciate his efforts and contributions for this team does not know this team. Is he Brian Urlacher or Patrick Willis? No, but he is better than players like Mike Peterson, Antonio Pierce, and Bradie James, in my humble opinion. Gary is arguably the best coverage LBer in football. Any mug worth a damn in this league should be able to tackle, but it takes a special player to make plays like the fumble recover last week, or the INT last year against Tom Brady.

Gary is a special player, and a damn fine MLBer.

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Comments

At least Brackett

isn’t on the Injury Report.

Kelvin and Dwight are added to the list.

Don’t know how serious…

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=injuryreport

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Oct 8, 2008 5:29 PM EDT reply actions

8 minutes ahead of you

I ain't tryin' do you, I'm just tryin do me
Last album did two, I'm just tryin' do three
-Young Jeezy "I Luv It"

by shake n bake on Oct 8, 2008 5:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Darn.

I thought I had you this time…. ;)

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Oct 8, 2008 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions

nope I'm done with class by 4 everyday

so I’ve got nothing better to do than refresh the page every 10 minutes.

I ain't tryin' do you, I'm just tryin do me
Last album did two, I'm just tryin' do three
-Young Jeezy "I Luv It"

by shake n bake on Oct 8, 2008 5:46 PM EDT up reply actions

I love Brackett

He is always in the middle of the plays.

Should have gone to the Pro Bowl last year.

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Oct 8, 2008 5:30 PM EDT reply actions

I too love Brackett...

Heck, I remember when he was just coming into the league…it was during a preseason game and he intercepted a pass and returned it for a TD. I remember saying to my son “hey he should be starting because it seems that everytime he is on the field he is making an impact play”!! I think it took Gary 2 years to establish himself as THE BEST COVER 2 MLB IN THE LEAGUE!! Remember that Gary plays behind a pretty small D line, to say the least…Brian Urlacher disappears when he does not have big tackles in front of him. Not taking anything away from Brian…but I would rather have Gary!!! Hell YEA!!! If Gary does not epitomize the Colts team concept nothing does.

by TRDean on Oct 9, 2008 10:39 AM EDT reply actions

If only the other two would step up.....

I don’t know about you, but if Freddie K and Sessions don’t improve drastically, they are gonna be history next year…a la Gilbert Gardner.

Also, how sucuessful is the Cover 2? And I mean Super Bowl wins……How many Cover 2 defenses have won Super Bowls? This would be an interesting analysis considering our defensive woes (last 4 minutes of Texans game excluded)> Will one of Stampede Blue’s writers look into this?

Frankly I am sick of seeing the DL and LB’s taken our of the play on EVER SINGLE RUNNING play. My amateur opinion is that the reason that we had succuess in the playoffs in 2006 is because Morris was a big guy and could not get taken out ot the play easily……..So Stampede Blue what can you do?

by peterbones on Oct 9, 2008 12:13 PM EDT reply actions

The Pittsburgh Steelers

In the 1970s dominated the NFL running a Cover 2. It is where the modern Tampa 2 comes from. In 2006, both Super Bowl teams ran Tampa 2 defenses. In 2003, Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl, dominating the Raiders (who had a prolific offense). This year, the best defense in football so far (the Titans) is a Tampa 2 defense scheme.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by Brad Wells on Oct 9, 2008 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Only 3 teams have been running it for more than a year or two

Tampa, Indy and Chicago. All three of those teams have a SB appearance. While running the Tampa-2 those teams have made the playoffs 15 times and have 10 top 5 finishes in the league in scoring D.

I ain't tryin' do you, I'm just tryin do me
Last album did two, I'm just tryin' do three
-Young Jeezy "I Luv It"

by shake n bake on Oct 9, 2008 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions