INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts cornerback Chris Lammons has never experienced a pregame like the one Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

The five-year pro was on the field warming up, when starting cornerback Mooney Ward suffered a concussion after a collision with back up tight end Drew Ogletree. Ward’s injury forced the Colts to play without their best cover corner and thrust undrafted free agent Johnathan Edwards into a larger role shortly before kickoff.

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In the fourth quarter, Lammons found himself in coverage in the end zone with the game hanging in the balance. With the potential winning pass heading toward him, he had one thought going through his mind.

“You just had to put your big boy pants on and make a play,” Lammons said.

Through practice reps during the week and time spent watching film, Lammons had a strong idea the ball was going toward Pro Bowl tight end Trey McBride. Lammons got in phase, stuck to McBride and prevented him from catching the fourth-down pass, helping the Colts hold on for a 31-27 win.

“Our preparation puts us in position to make plays on Sunday, the coaches put us in position to make plays on Sunday and just being consistent,” Lammons said. “I think everybody in the DB room is very consistent with what they put on tape. … Just pulling out this win was good for our team. I think we needed it.”

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The Colts secondary has been in flux throughout the season with late-signing veteran Xavien Howard retiring after Week 4 and Pro Bowl corner Kenny Moore II missing the last three games with a calf injury. Lammons was elevated from the practice squad ahead of last Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The veteran played 46 defensive snaps in relief of injured cornerback Mike Hilton, recording three tackles and two pass breakups. Against the Cards, Lammons recorded two tackles, including one tackle for loss.

Lammons knew what his role was before the game. Edwards moved into the starting lineup once Ward went down.

“We have depth, and I’m a guy that has to stay ready,” Edwards said. “When Mooney goes down I have to be ready to step in. I was on the field with him (when it happened). I just feel for him. That’s my guy. We’re real close. I want him to get well.”

Lammons made a key play when the Colts needed it most, but the Colts secondary struggled for a majority of the game. Arizona’s Jacoby Brissett went 27-for-44 with 320 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception. With new players in the secondary, communication between teammates helps prevent coverage busts. The Cardinals had success with deep crossers over the middle, putting pressure on the Colts linebackers and secondary to determine who stays with the receiver and who passes him off.

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“You just got to know that whoever fills in has confidence that they’ll be ready to play and play well,” Colts safety Camryn Bynum said. “But for my job, the biggest thing I have to do is communicate well to make sure that there’s no confusion with the guy that hasn’t gotten as much playing time as a starter. Knowing that he feels prepared and is confident when he’s out there, and I feel like we did a good job with that.”

Bynum added that it’s always good to pull out a win, but being in a do-or-die situation is not how the defense wants to play.

“Really ugly game for us,” Bynum said. “Us getting a red zone stop on the last play of the game, all of that shows our potential but we can’t play with it like that. … Letting them get to the red zone and us needing to make a play. We don’t want it to come down to that, but we know we can make a play when we have to.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Colts CB Chris Lammons makes game-saving play