Despite all the ups and downs this 2024 season has brought the Indianapolis Colts so far, defensive tackle Grover Stewart continues to be a steady force in the middle of this defense.
Stewart's main focus as a defender is the running game, where he is one of the best in his position group.
Stewart enters Week 11 with the fourth-most solo tackles in the running game, completing those plays an average of 0.8 yards from the line of scrimmage, according to PFF metrics. Or in short: the ball carrier isn't going anywhere.
His 22 run stops — or plays that result in a loss for the offense, as PFF puts it — are also the fourth most and he ranks fifth as well as.
The running game isn't the only place where Stewart is making his mark, however. During the offseason, he mentioned This also means chasing the quarterback regularly.
Through 10 games, Stewart has already tied his career high with four sacks – currently the most on the team – and his 13 pressures are just nine shy of his current career high of 22.
With a player of Stewart's caliber in the middle of the defense, his impact goes beyond the stats. His presence attracts double teams and his ability to eat up space helps create one-on-one duels or gives others the opportunity to close gaps and make plays.
Even though the Colts are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, the defense has played good football over the last month.
The return of DeForest Buckner certainly played a key role in that, as did Gus Bradley's adjustments, but Stewart's continued presence in the middle of that front continues to pay dividends for the Colts' defense in many ways.