He popped Steelers receiver Mike Wallace at the end of the first quarter on a third-down catch; at first, it appeared that Chung had stopped him short of the first down, but when the spot was measured, Pittsburgh had the first down.
Later in the half, Chung closed quickly on a screen pass to running back Rashard Mendenhall, holding him to a 2-yard pickup; in the third quarter, Chung and Mike Wright dropped Mendenhall for a 4-yard loss.
For the year, Chung has been credited with 55 tackles, third on the team behind Jerod Mayo (112) and Brandon Spikes (58), despite sitting out those two contests. There was also his memorable special-teams performance in Miami, when Chung blocked a punt and a field goal; the second block was scooped up by Kyle Arrington and returned for a touchdown. Chung finished his night against the Dolphins with a pick-6.
Just as Harrison once did, Chung is making opponents take notice.
“He’s an impact player,’’ said Colts coach Jim Caldwell of the former Oregon Duck. “He covers the field well, he’s got really good instincts, and he’s extremely tough. I think when you have that kind of combination, along with the sophistication of their defensive structure, you’ve got a guy who sets a great tone for them.’’
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will be looking for Chung come Sunday.
“They have three excellent safeties between [James] Sanders, [Brandon] Meriweather, and Chung, but Chung’s a guy that they move around a lot,’’ Manning said. “He’s a guy that can cover a slot receiver in nickel defenses. He can cover a slot receiver one-on-one. He can cover tight ends. He can play the deep half of the safety. So he’s very versatile.
“He’s got excellent speed, big-play capabilities, and just seems like he has a real knack for the football.
“Last year being his rookie year, he got great experiences and just seems like he’s taken a big step into his second year, which I can relate to. After playing as a rookie, things become more comfortable for you in the second year. And you really see Chung flying around out there.’’
