The Colts’ defense overcomes major losses,…

The Colts headed into Saturday knowing they’d be without a starting cornerback in Ya-Sin, who was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday, along with key rotational edge rusher Kemoko Turay.

But just hours before kickoff in this Christmas Night, primetime matchup, Indy learned two more defensive starters, Leonard and Willis, were also being placed on the COVID-19 list and would miss the Cardinals matchup, too.

For most NFL defenses, knowing you’ll be without three starters — including the league’s best takeaway artist in Leonard — is daunting enough. But try factoring those losses against an explosive offense like the Cardinals, who boast a top-10 offense averaging 27 points a game and have one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league in Murray.

But defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, his staff, and his players simply didn’t flinch.

With Leonard out, the team relied heavily on linebacker E.J. Speed, who made his first-career start on Saturday night. The converted college quarterback and wide receiver responded with a team-best nine tackles and a pass defensed.

At cornerback, it was second-year speedster Isaiah Rodgers getting significantly increased action with Ya-Sin out. Rodgers responded with five tackles and a pass defensed of his own.

And at safety, with both Willis and Andrew Sendejo (concussion) out against the Cardinals, Indy turned to George Odum and Jahleel Addae, the latter of which a ninth-year veteran making his first-ever start with the Colts — and first start overall since 2019. Odum and Addae responded with a combined 14 tackles and a pass defensed, ensuring no big plays developed behind them.

“I mean, it was really just a next-man-up mentality,” said rookie defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo, who had one tackle on the night, but was constantly in Murray’s face. “I don’t think anyone panicked or even really flinched. It was really just getting the next guy up. I think we all were extremely confident in the guys coming in to replace Darius and some of the other guys missing. It worked out; everyone played a great game, and we came out with the dub.”

The Colts’ defense, in all, limited the Cardinals to 11 points under their season average and forced a crucial safety, despite the fact they didn’t register a single sack (or even a quarterback hit) and did not force a turnover for the first time in 16 games, ending their NFL-best streak. Murray, meanwhile, was limited to a season-low 5.7 yards per pass attempt, while running back Chase Edmonds averaged just 3.5 yards per rushing attempt (despite a season-high 16 carries).