Colts place DeForest Buckner on injured reserve: Why DT's absence is major blow to NFL's most surprising team

The Indianapolis Colts placed defensive tackle DeForest Buckner on injured reserve on Friday. It's a move that could significantly impact the NFL's most surprising team over the weeks to come. Buckner, a three-time Pro Bowler and former first-round pick, will miss at least the next four games and will not be eligible to return until Dec. 14 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Colts coach Shane Steichen said Buckner injured his neck in last week's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. His IR designation comes as a surprise considering Steichen said on Sunday and Monday that he had no injuries to report from the matchup against the Steelers. Buckner, however, did not participate in practice this week, and the Colts had already ruled him out for Week 10 on Thursday.

"He's as tough as they get," Steichen said. "Anytime a guy like that goes down, obviously it hurts our football team," Steichen said. "He's one of our leaders, one of our best players on defense, been a staple for us. No timetable on the return."

Buckner has been a model of consistency throughout his career and missed just seven games over his nine years with the Colts and San Francisco 49ers. This is now the second time in as many seasons, though, that he has landed on IR.

Buckner was on pace for one of the best seasons of his outstanding career prior to the injury. He racked up nine tackles for loss across nine games, putting him on track to contend for a personal best in that category. Four of those stops behind the line of scrimmage came in the form of sacks.

Buckner's extended absence puts Colts' defense to the test

Indianapolis will be without its top run stopper for at least about one quarter of the regular season. Buckner had also been a key element of the Colts' pass rush and ranked second on the team in sacks through nine games. He was as integral to the team's defensive success in the first half of the season as any player.

Looming matchups with potent offenses and terrific running backs make the timing of Buckner's absence all the more devastating. The Colts square off this weekend in Berlin, Germany against the Atlanta Falcons, who boast one of the NFL's most talented ballcarriers in Bijan Robinson. Containing him without Buckner in the trenches will be a tall task. The Kansas City Chiefs are the Colts' next opponent on domestic soil and, of course, present one of the most formidable tests of any offense in the NFL.

The Colts are the fourth-best team against the run this season and allow an average of just 87 rushing yards per game to opposing offenses. They will almost certainly be more vulnerable so long as Buckner is on the shelf.

In turn, it is important for Indianapolis' shaky pass defense to take steps forward in the coming weeks and hold up its end of the bargain. The acquisition of star cornerback Sauce Gardner at Tuesday's NFL trade deadline could be a harbinger of improvement for a unit that surrenders the seventh-most passing yards per game.