Getty Head coach Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts added a defensive starter to the injury report on October 28.
As if the Indianapolis Colts weren’t dealing with enough heading into their Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders, the Colts added another key defender to their injury report late in the week.
Colts beat writer Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star reported Moore is now questionable for Week 8 because of a finger injury he suffered in practice.
Colts Pro Bow cornerback Kenny Moore II is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Commanders after developing a finger injury in practice.
The Colts did not include Moore on the injury report on October 27, but the cornerback was limited in practice a day later.
Including Moore, the Colts had four Pro Bowl defenders on their injury report for Week 8. But it’s possible all of them play against the Commanders.
The defenders the Colts have ruled out for Week 8 are defensive end Kwity Paye and linebacker Grant Stuard. Quarterback Matt Ryan will also not play on October 30.
But linebacker Shaquille Leonard will be active.
Friday’s practice report for #WASvsIND.
Moore Dealing With Finger Injury
If there’s any silver lining, the good news is Moore’s injury is to his finger. It’s unlikely that will keep him off the field for a game.
But it’s still never a good thing when a key player pops up with an injury late in the week.
Injury update for the Colts: CB Kenny Moore II was limited in Friday’s practice with a finger injury and is questionable for Sunday.
Moore has 31 combined tackles, including 2 tackles for loss, 1 quarterback hit, 1.0 sack and 2 pass defenses this season. He made his first Pro Bowl last season and came into the year as one of the league’s top nickel cornerbacks.
Indianapolis has depth at cornerback, but none better than Moore to cover slot receivers. This week, Washington presents a tough matchup in the slot for Colts defensive backs.
Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel leads the team with 39 receptions and 58 targets. He’s only averaging 8.7 yards per reception with 2 touchdowns, but his shiftiness could present a problem even if Moore plays.
Moore’s Disappointing 2022 Season
While it may be minor, Moore’s finger injury is another item in a long list of things that have added up to a less than stellar season for the Colts slot cornerback.
First, Moore performed a “hold-in” during the offseason in the hopes of landing a contract extension following his first Pro Bowl in 2021. Whether or not that’s impacted his play, Moore has not been able to repeat his success from last season.
In fact, according to the player grades from Pro Football Focus, Moore has been well below average this season with a 47.3 overall grade out of 100. That’s Moore’s worst PFF season grade of his career.
During his first three years with the Colts, Moore averaged a PFF player grade of 71.9 each season. His best grade of 75.5 came in 2019. Last season, he recorded a grade of 66.6.
According to PFF, Moore has struggled particularly badly in coverage during 2022. After seven weeks, the PFF player grades rank Moore 76th among 79 cornerbacks who have played at least 50% of their team’s defensive snaps this year.
He’s improved a little as of late, particularly as a pass rusher. Moore recorded his first sack of the season in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans.
But he still has yet to record a PFF coverage grade better than 65 in any game this season.
Not only do the Colts need Moore on the field this week against the Commanders, they need the slot cornerback to return to his 2021 form to help the team turn this season around quickly.