Colts’ Tyquan Lewis Emerges as Steady Defensive Contributor in Third Season

Indianapolis Colts defensive end/tackle Tyquan Lewis has continued to impress, so much so that he was rewarded with his first start Sunday, and he delivered with two sacks in a road win at Detroit.

INDIANAPOLIS — Monotone decibels make it seem as if Tyquan Lewis is still stuck in the past two NFL seasons, when he was hurt too often and didn’t live up to being drafted in the second round.

Lewis tries to avoid a range of emotions, preferring to go about his business with a low-key demeanor. One wouldn’t know from chatting with him that he’s resurrected his career with the Indianapolis Colts.

He just made his first NFL start of 2020 last week, and had two sacks as well as three solo tackles in a 41-21 road win at Detroit. That’s as many sacks as he had in 15 games the previous two years.

One of the most encouraging storylines during training camp, Lewis continued to get noticed with solid play despite limited snaps. That earned him the start instead of defensive end Denico Autry, who also seemed a bit more inspired about his work in contributing two sacks, too.

But make no mistake, Lewis couldn’t help but be humbled by his first two years. He missed his first eight games as a rookie with a toe injury. When he played, he showed glimpses with 11 tackles and two sacks in eight games. Last year, he hit rock bottom with just four tackles and no sacks in nine games, sitting out seven due to a lingering ankle injury.

That’s why he sounds like a 25-year-old player who sticks to a simple routine. Just keep the head down and work hard. He has nine tackles and 3.5 sacks in seven games.

Tyquan Lewis sacks the Lions' Matthew Stafford on Sunday.

Kirthmon F. Dozier/USA TODAY Sports

He credits his young daughter as inspiration, is grateful for texts of encouragement from general manager Chris Ballard, and appreciates the belief his teammates have in him. Perhaps most importantly, Lewis sounds like he believes in himself and is confident in how he needs to play.

“I used to feel like it was always something,” Lewis said Wednesday about his first two seasons. “You just weather the storm.”

What has he proven since?

“Right now, I’ve shown what I can do, week in and week out,” he said. “Going forward, I know what I have to do, I know what I have to get done for this team to be successful. That’s the main thing. Going in week in and week out and putting in the work, I just want to contribute to the team’s success.”

Lewis is just the ninth player in the NFL to have at least two tackles for loss, two sacks, and one pass defended in a game this season.

What’s been the key to his success? Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus starts with the obvious — Lewis has stayed healthy.

“That’s always the key point there, but health has been there and also I think he’s progressing and understanding what works for him,” Eberflus said. “He’s doing that in practice and he understands what his pass-rush move is and what his counter is and understanding how to play the run and utilizing his power and intensity that he needs within his body.

“He’s always been super smart. He’s always known what to do in terms of his assignments and alignments. He can play all along the line, and we’ve never had an issue with that. He’s just now starting to really blossom and work his body and his mind at the same time to be productive on the field.”

The Colts never gave up on him, although his roster spot sure seemed tenuous entering training camp.

“That’s what we hope for all our players,” Eberflus said of the progress. “We believe in every one of our players. We trust in them that they’re working really hard and we drafted them to do that exact thing. We believe in him and he’s taken full advantage of the opportunities. His opportunities will be given this week (based) on how hard he works in practice and he’s going to continue to grow. We’re excited about Tyquan.”

The Colts (5-2) host the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, which means the defense will be challenged by reigning NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, a dynamic and elusive threat who is the fastest runner at his position in the league.

Lewis echoes Colts coaches in assessing the need for team defense to limit Jackson from making impact plays.

“Everyone is playing off each other,” he said.

And he sounds quietly confident about doing his part.

(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)