'One bad joker': Blackmon building rookie of the year case

INDIANAPOLIS – Julian Blackmon has made no secret of his expectations.

Despite a knee injury that was supposed to sideline him until mid-October, the former Utah star always believed he’d make an early impact.

“I sat down and literally wrote Defensive Rookie of the Year all over my (play) book because that’s what I want,” Blackmon said. “I truly believe that’s a talent that I have that I can bring to help this team. It’s definitely been on my radar.”

His fanbase undoubtedly is growing.

The Indianapolis Colts safety made his most recent game-changing play Sunday in overtime against the Green Bay Packers, jarring the ball loose from wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling and causing a fumble recovered by defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. Moments later rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship split the uprights for the deciding points in a 34-31 victory.

Just as he did five weeks earlier against the Cincinnati Bengals, Blackmon read the offensive formation and correctly diagnosed the play call. He then split a double-team block attempt on the wide receiver screen and got just enough of Valdes-Scantling’s arm to knock the ball loose. Even if he was one of the last people in the area to realize it.

“Honestly, I didn’t know that I forced (the fumble) until I got up,” Blackmon said. “I knew I hit his arm, but I had no idea that the ball was out. Once I saw that the ball was on the ground, I started flipping out.”

So did his teammates, though they’ve come to expect such heroics from the 22-year-old.

Against the Bengals on Oct. 18, he correctly read rookie quarterback Joe Burrow’s intentions and jumped in front of a receiver for a fourth-quarter interception that sealed a 31-27 victory. Blackmon also had a fourth-quarter pick against the Chicago Bears to aid a 19-11 win at Soldier Field on Oct. 4.

But Sunday’s takeaway was the most impressive of the lot.

Green Bay had just driven nearly the length of the field to tie the game at the end of regulation, and when the visitors won the coin toss for the first possession of overtime, it appeared it would only be a matter of minutes before two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers put the game in the win column.

Instead, according to ESPN Stats & Info, he fell to 1-2 when holding a 14-point lead at any point in the game against Indianapolis. He’s 95-2 in the same situation against the rest of the league combined.

Blackmon was looking forward to the matchup all week because he knew Rodgers would serve as a measuring stick for the Colts’ top-ranked defense. The rookie came away from the contest with a story he’ll be able to tell his grandchildren.

“It’s a real difficult ask (to split the double-team on the screen), but Julian is explosive and he does have that knack and he is fearless,” Indianapolis head coach Frank Reich said. “He continues to make those kind of plays. He’s consistent, but he also has that play-making ability. In a game like this, we have a bunch of those guys that have to step up and make big-time plays, and Julian certainly did that (Sunday).”

The question now is just how close Blackmon can get to his goal of being named the league’s top defensive rookie.

Through nine games, he has 26 tackles, two interceptions, six pass deflections and one very memorable forced fumble.

That should be enough to put his name solidly in the race, and he has a very vocal supporter in 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Darius Leonard.

“(For) me, personally, he’s the Defensive Rookie of the Year,” Leonard said. “Nobody’s doing what he’s doing. We’ve gotta start giving him some credit. I’m tired of nobody giving him any credit. Any time we’re playing a big game, what does he do? He steps up. He makes plays. And you gotta think about how he’s doing it. He’s coming off an ACL injury, no offseason. You know, he’s not doing anything, (and) he’s coming out, he’s balling out and he’s making big-time plays in big-time situations.

“That’s what a defensive rookie’s supposed to do, and that’s what he’s doing. He’s playing like he’s not a rookie. And I always joke around with him, like, ‘Hey, man, you’re playing at a top-notch level.’ Hopefully, he continues to do that. So far, he’s been great. And the NFL and everybody around here need to give him some credit ’cause he’s one bad joker, man.”