Sauce Gardner’s arrival in Indianapolis wasn’t your typical walk-in-the-park, but then again, nothing is ever bland when Sauce is involved. Just last week, Gardner was stuck on the New York Jets, a team so deep in despair that their stadium could have doubled as a therapy center. The Jets, needing picks and hope more than Sauce needed a new jersey, shipped their All-Pro corner to the Colts, a franchise with playoff dreams so big that Gardner’s luggage barely fit in the overhead compartment for his flight to Indy.
Sauce barely had time to unpack his bags or grab a proper breakfast sandwich before Colts defensive coaches dropped a pile of playbooks onto his lap. First, he tackled film on the Browns, since the Jets were scheduled to play them. A day later, he was flipping through pages about the Atlanta Falcons, who Indy was lined up to play in Germany. His new assignment: Lock up 6’4 Drake London!
But Sauce wasn’t phased. He spent two or three extra hours each night diving into film, learning new Colts defensive jargon, and figuring out when to call a blitz and when to do what Sauce does best: lock up receivers faster than airport security. Friday arrived, and Colts staff whisked him off to Germany for Sunday’s NFL International showdown, leaving Sauce with little more than jet lag and a playbook thicker than a steak sandwich.
Then came Sunday. When it was time to line up for his Colts debut, the jokes ended and the Sauce was poured thick. Every snap, Gardner shadowed Drake London like he’d installed a GPS tracker. London only saw four targets, caught two passes for just 26 yards, and spent the rest of the afternoon looking as frustrated as a tourist trying to find a McDonald’s in Berlin.
Sure, Sauce dropped a near-pick-six and got beat for a two-point conversion, but let’s call it adjusting to the local time zone. Gardner’s performance was pure All-Pro, shutdown corner brilliance: six tackles, airtight coverage, and proof for Indy fans that elite corners do exist outside a Jets jersey.
As Gardner left the field, tired but triumphant, he proved to everyone the Colts had made a winning trade. Indianapolis might have given up first-round picks, but they got everything they hoped for. Sauce with all the flavor and none of the disappointment. A saucy debut indeed!
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: A Colt with extra Sauce: What a debut for Sauce Gardner in Indy
