Colts S Mike Mitchell named AFC Defensive Player of the Week

While watching the Colts dismantle the poor, beaten down Buffalo Bills on Sunday, it was pretty tough to miss one guy on the Colts’ defense. While Darius Leonard was impressive yet again, it was Mike Mitchell, the 31-year-old safety that the Colts had signed the week before who was making an impact.

His play popped off the screen, recording 7 tackles, knocking down 2 passes, getting a pick, and forcing a fumble. The Colts couldn’t have possibly hoped for a bigger impact from a midseason free agent signing, but what they got in Mitchell seems to be a veteran leader who can both help set the tone for a young defense, and make a game-changing impact.

The coaching staff have already discussed with the media that they plan to find ways to keep Mitchell involved in the games even once Geathers is healthy. They used 3-safety lineups frequently earlier in the season in order to get Matthias Farley on the field, and it seems likely they will do the same thing once Geathers has returned.

It is exciting to see the Colts defense getting consistent recognition in these weekly awards, proving that Matt Eberflus is truly getting this team to raise their level of play and bring it on game days. This is a team that has bought in, and Chris Ballard deserves credit for turning the loss of Farley, a real playmaker, into a good thing by way of a great addition.

Congratulations to Mike Mitchell!