Ankle injury: Indianapolis Colts yet to confirm LB Dwight Freeney’s return – NFL News
The Indianapolis Colts are yet to confirm if linebacker Dwight Freeney is going to be hundred percent for the next game after he was forced out on the sidelines with an ankle injury in the first quarter of the season opener against the Chicago Bears on Sunday
night.
He was listed questionable for the rest of the game and did not show up at all. There is no update from the team yet if the injury is of a serious nature and whether it requires the player a longer period for recovery and rehab.
Freeney rolled his ankle as he was blocked during a Bears’ scoring drive. It was not clear if he suffered a fracture, since he did not return despite being inspected and treated by the team’s medical staff on the sidelines.
The linebacker is one of the few holdovers in the new makeup of the Colts and remains crucial to the defence along with Robert Mathis, who was positioned on the defensive line along with him under coach Chuck Pagano’s new 3-4 hybrid scheme.
Some reports hinted at the possibility of the player having scans later on, which is probably the reason for delay in update on his recovery and return.
His fitness is crucial to the team’s hopes for wins in the future as while quarterback Andrew Luck is being specifically targeted by oppositions’ defence, as it happened in the Bears game, there are but few scoring opportunities for the Colts. They need
tight defences to keep the scoring chances from their oppositions to a minimum level.
Luck had an impressive game against the Bears but was hardly given any chance by their defence to have an easy scoring opportunity. He had to fight very hard to navigate through the opposition defence, which seemed totally focused against Luck.
In a scenario when Luck is least likely to be left loose, if Colts defence is able to put a strong show, they have a chance to ease pressure on the rookie quarterback, which should at the end help the victory cause of the team.
The significant outcome for the Colts in the game was that Luck did not look like a player prone to quickly cracking under pressure. He remained firm and stubborn despite being completely suffocated by the Bears.
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