MIAMI — When we last saw Jacob Lacey, he was watching the No. 17 on Braylon Edwards’ jersey become smaller and smaller as the Jets receiver glided into the end zone in last Sunday’s AFC championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Lacey, a rookie cornerback for the Colts, had fallen victim to Mark Sanchez’s pump-fake and Edwards’ double move, and suddenly Edwards was some seven yards past him down the left sideline, wide open for the pass — an 80-yard touchdown that gave the Jets a 7-3 lead.
Making matters worse was the fact that Lacey was starting in place of injured cornerback Jerraud Powers, who was out because of a foot injury.
“You never forget,” Lacey said before the Colts were to make their way down to south Florida today to prepare for Super Bowl XLIV.
Lacey, who is likely to start the Super Bowl with Powers still doubtful for Sunday’s game after missing practice all week, said he keeps a mental list of receivers who have beaten him for big gains and touchdowns.
“But then,” he added, “you have to have a short memory to play the position.”
Right now, that Edwards play is at the top of Lacey’s list. Lacey had Edwards in man-to-man coverage, with possible help coming from safety Antoine Bethea.
But when Sanchez made a play-action fake and Edwards decoyed beautifully with a lazy first move, Lacey slowed for a moment, believing it was a running play, and Bethea bit on the play action. That left Edwards alone, flying down the sideline.
“It comes with the position,” Lacey said. “It was early in the game and my guys rallied around me. They just told me to let that one go, there’s a lot more [time left] in the ballgame.”
The Colts have had significant injury issues in the secondary. Safety Bob Sanders, a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and cornerback Marlin Jackson were lost to season-ending injuries.
Bethea was one of the Colts veterans who tried to keep Lacey’s confidence up after the Edwards touchdown.
“You have to have that short memory if you do get beat,” Bethea said.
Lacey, who had three interceptions and 13 passes defensed in the regular season, said, “With the type of receivers we have in this league, somebody’s going to make a play at some point in time on you. You just have to pull together, get your confidence back up and keep moving forward.”
That was Lacey’s way of saying he has moved on from Edwards.
After all, he is going to the Super Bowl and Edwards is not.