Stephen Holder

stephen.holder@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS – To be completely accurate, Darius Butler had, in fact, played safety for the Indianapolis Colts before Sunday’s victory over the Green Bay Packers.

There was that brief trial run in training camp and the preseason, part of a worst-case scenario plan while Clayton Geathers was out with a broken foot. Then there was that handful of snaps he played at safety during the regular season, the ones you would have missed if you blinked.

But if we’re talking about playing safety in the truest, fullest sense, then slot cornerback Butler made his debut at Lambeau Field, against two-time Most Valuable Player Aaron Rodgers, no less.

That Butler acquitted himself so well, making a pass deflection and an interception as part of the Colts’ most impressive pass-defense effort of the season, merely belied this reality: It could have been a disaster.

“It’s something (you have) to get used to,” Butler said of the position switch. “It’s a completely different game, the way you see it and the angles – all that. And to get that experience against a quarterback like that is like trial by fire.”

So, give Butler credit. He handled the job with aplomb. He played like the veteran that he is, ably stepping into Mike Adams’ place in the lineup while the Pro Bowl safety sat out with a groin injury. And when he inexplicably missed that gimme interception in the first half, leading to a Jordy Nelson touchdown, Butler rallied.

“I didn’t really trust my hands and I tried to body catch it, which I never do,” Butler said. “I just told the defense, I owed them. They expect me to make that play and I told them the next time I had an opportunity, I would.”

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And he did. Butler made a critical interception in the third quarter to end a Green Bay drive that was gaining steam.

That interception is worth probing some more. See, Butler excels as a slot cornerback, often with his back turned to the quarterback while chasing a receiver in man coverage. But the approach at safety is totally different. You’re more often facing the quarterback and backpedaling, allowing Butler to use his superior instincts to get a jump on the ball while in flight. That was the key on the interception and that’s the very quality that makes it tempting to consider giving Butler a role at safety even after Adams returns.

“If I can see the quarterback, I can react off him,” Butler said.

Said defensive coordinator Ted Monachino: “As we get into next week, I’m sure that there will be things that we will want to do with Darius back there.”

As experiments go, this one was a home run for the Colts. Which is why, perhaps, it will become something more.

>> Offensive line passes test

The up-and-down nature of the Colts’ offensive line play in 2016 has been dizzying. You simply never know what to expect.

But the Green Bay game offered an important takeaway.

For starters, the line played well. Yes, quarterback Andrew Luck took some hits and had to elude pressure, but that’s the nature of the beast against the Packers.

And that’s kind of the point: The Packers are among the more relentless blitz teams in the NFL, with a package of blitzes that can leave your head spinning. You know the pressure is coming. Count on it. What’s difficult to decipher is where it’s coming from.

“I would say they’re definitely exotic blitzes,” rookie lineman Joe Haeg said. “And they’re not afraid to break a rule every now and then.”

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Yet the Colts tied a season low with two sacks allowed and the offensive line committed no holding penalties. That indicates success not only in the physical aspects of pass protection, but in the mental areas, too. That can be the most difficult part of the game for young linemen. The Colts, remember, are playing with two rookies (Ryan Kelly, Haeg) and a second-year player (Denzelle Good) among their starting five linemen.

Baby steps.

“I wouldn’t have any hair left if I was pulling it out every time a young guy made a mistake,” offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski said. “Some of that is going to come with the natural process. You don’t let them know that when you are coaching. You are constantly on them about it. You don’t cut them slack or cut them a break. But you know some of those are going to happen.”

Keep this in mind moving forward: Many of this line’s struggles to date weren’t for a lack of ability but, rather, a lack of experience. Give these kids time.

>> The money down

You might have heard football coaches refer to third downs as “the money down” for their importance related to scoring drives and winning games. The Colts are more or less average on third down, converting 41 percent for the season.

But if you take a close look at the Colts’ two most impressive drives against the Packers, one thing that becomes evident was their overwhelming success on third down. On their 94-yard scoring march to end the first half and the game-ending drive that allowed them to run out the clock in the fourth quarter, the Colts converted five of six third downs.

Their lone failure? The final play of the game, on which Luck took a knee to end it.

Among those third downs were a 13-yard completion to Phillip Dorsett on a third-and-9 during and the much-celebrated third-and-10 on which Luck shook off a tackler and threw a 20-yard strike to Jack Doyle.

Yes, it’s called the money down for a reason. And the Colts cashed in.

Follow IndyStar reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.

Next up: Colts vs. Titans, Nov. 20, CBS

Offense + defense + special teams = Colts win