INDIANAPOLIS — T.J. Carrie didn’t move the needle much.
The impact of the Colts’ big offseason splashes were still rippling. Carrie’s name didn’t carry the same weight as guys like DeForest Buckner, Philip Rivers and Xavier Rhodes.
But the veteran cornerback has quietly been an important addition to a Colts defense carving out a place among the NFL’s best this season.
“He’s that piece that we were searching for last year,” defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said.
When Indianapolis lost Kenny Moore, first in the early part of the season and then for the final four games, the Colts cycled through half a dozen replacements at the nickel position, ranging from a veteran in Quincy Wilson to undrafted free agent Shakial Taylor to safety Rolan Milligan.