Xavien Howard made a significant impact in his recent debut with the Indianapolis Colts, leading the team to a commanding 33-8 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Howard, who signed with the Colts just last month, had a horrible Week 1. It was his first faceoff with his old team since being let go by Miami 18 months ago. His performance was a tour de force of muscular virtuosity. Most importantly, it shined a positive light on the Colts’ extremely smart strategy to stifle Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
From the first snap, Howard’s impact was evident on the gridiron. He started the game, marking his return to action since the final week of the 2023 season, and played 32 snaps. In a game-changing sequence, Howard scored a crucial fumble recovery. This occurred shortly after Tua Tagovailoa absorbed a huge hit from linebacker Zaire Franklin, who caused the ball to come free. This play was a common example of the pressure the Colts provided on Tagovailoa for the duration of the game.
Howard highlighted the Colts’ gameplan in making Tagovailoa look ineffective. “We knew the guy, he gets the ball out pretty quick,” he stated. He elaborated on how the defense executed their game plan, saying, “Once we take away his first read, I feel like it’s panic mode after that.” This maneuver proved to be the right call, as Tagovailoa was unable to find his groove and ended up throwing two critical interceptions in the joint practice.
One of those interceptions was particularly noteworthy. Defensive end Laiatu Latu intercepted Tagovailoa twice, including a crucial play where he deceived the quarterback by dropping into zone coverage. “It showed yesterday. We took away his first read and he was trying to get rid of the ball real quick,” Howard remarked, highlighting Latu’s ability to outsmart Tagovailoa.
The game would prove to be a defining moment for Howard. He was cut by the Dolphins shortly after signing, in February 2024, and has been out of the NFL since then. Describing his emotions leading up to the game, Howard said, “I barely could sleep the night before the game because I was just thinking about, like, how I’m going to feel playing against my former team.” His outing at Miami was a not-so-quietly confident mic drop. It also helped to further entrench his status as one of the league’s most fearsome defensive players.
Throughout his career, Howard has shown that he is a true playmaker, leading the NFL in interceptions two times during his career in Miami. He gets to reconnect with Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, who was his position coach back in Miami. This connection further deepens the significance of his current role with Indianapolis.
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