Dein erstes Forum » INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts‘ defense

appears to be rounding into form.Rookie linebacker Darius Leonard leads the league in tackles. Safeties Clayton Geathers and Malik Hooker look healthy. The sacks and turnovers are up T.J. Green Color Rush Jersey , the miscues are down and first-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus sees things coming together.No, it’s not a perfect start but for a defense that has traditionally finished near the bottom of the league, this is progress.“It’s not as clean as it should be in terms of execution,” Eberflus said Tuesday. “The alignments are off a little bit and the angles we tackle at have to improve, but you can see the guys understand it (the system) a little better.”Eberflus expected the transition from the previous 3-4 front to the more traditional 4-3 to take time.But things have gone faster and smoother than almost anyone anticipated.Three weeks into the season, the Colts’ defense is ranked No. 16 overall and No. 15 against both the run and the pass. Only 12 teams have allowed fewer points than Indy’s 63.With 10 sacks, Indy is almost halfway to last season’s 16-game total (25) and only seven teams have more takeaways than the Colts (five).The biggest beneficiary has been Leonard, a second-round draft pick out of South Carolina State who already has 41 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery as he continues to learn the system.“Football is football, so I think it’s pretty easy,” he said. “I think it’s really just about just how hard we practice, 24-7. We practice hard.”Leonard isn’t the only one thriving in Eberflus’ system, the same version made popular by Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay.The oft-injured Geathers produced a career-high 11 tackles each of the past two weeks. Defensive end Margus Hunt already has a career-high three sacks to go along with 10 tackles — more than he’s had in four of his first six NFL seasons.Hooker, Indy’s first-round pick in 2017, is flashing the playmaking ability Indy detected in college as his teammates get in sync.“I feel like we’re in a good spot, but we’ve still got a lot of work to put in,” Hooker said. “I think it’s guys buying into the coaching, believing (other) guys are running to the ball and just being physical out there.”Clearly https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Matthias-Farley-Jersey , this is far from a finished product.While the defense has kept the Colts within striking distance, breakdowns still occur.In Sunday’s 20-16 loss at Super Bowl champion Philadelphia, the defense allowed Carson Wentz to burn nearly 11½ minutes on a fourth-quarter drive that resulted in the go-ahead touchdown. Indy aided the drive with four penalties, including a holding call on defensive end Jabaal Sheard after it appeared Indy had stopped Philadelphia on fourth-and-5 at the Colts 42.“I think he was just in there and it just happened. He was trying to run a stunt and it just happened,” Eberflus said. “We want no foolish penalties. So it comes down to judgment, concentration and self-control. Really, it comes down to those three categories and we’ll get better at it.”The improvements cannot be ignored.Over the previous three seasons, the Colts allowed 5.7, 6.0 and 5.7 yards per play. Not surprisingly, they missed the playoffs all three seasons.This year that number is down to 5.3 though Eberflus expects the number to continue dropping as players become more accustomed to their new roles. Eberflus is working with seven new starters and an eighth player, Sheard, who moved from outside linebacker back to defensive end.There could be more help on the way, too.Rookie defensive linemen Kemoko Turay showed signs of his pass-rushing potential in Sunday’s game, and Tyquan Lewis remains on injured reserve with an injured toe. Both were second-round picks.But even without those guys making a huge impact so far, Eberflus believes the defense is on schedule.“One of my mentors in coaching said, ‘You get what you emphasize and if you emphasize too much you don’t get anything,'” Eberflus said. “I think if you just hang your hat on a couple things, the rudiments of the game, that’s what you’ll see on tape. You’ve got to do a good job of coaching it up.”Notes: Indy has claimed cornerback Arthur Maulet off waivers from New Orleans and released running back Christine Michael. … The Colts also signed offensive tackle Rees Odhiambo and cornerback Lenzy Pipkins to the practice squad after releasing offensive tackle Will Holden and cornerback Tarvarus McFadden from the practice squad. Jason Garrett and Frank Reich understand the high stakes of Sunday’s game.If Dallas wins Christine Michael Sr Jersey , it clinches the NFC East. If Indianapolis wins, it stays in the hunt for the AFC’s final playoff spot and possibly even a division crown.The two coaches and their players will get one more precious late-season chance to see how they stack up against another postseason contender and what can be done to keep playing into January.“Most people call this the dash for cash,” Colts tight end Eric Ebron said. “So you just try to win.”Few teams have done more lately than the Colts (7-6) or Cowboys (8-5).Rather than folding after starting 1-5, Andrew Luck & Co. turned things around with six wins in seven games and tying Baltimore, Miami and Tennessee for the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff chase.Luck’s comeback has happened during perhaps the best season of his career with 34 touchdown passes, second in the league and six short of his career high, a career-best completion rate of 67.7 percent and he is 241 yards away from the fourth 4,000-yard season of this career.This time, Luck also is working with an improved defense that has allowed 17.1 points over the past seven weeks and ranks among the league’s top third in sacks and negative plays.The combination has upped the ante for Colts’ opponents.“They attack you a lot of different ways,” Garrett said. “It’s aggressive, it’s attacking and it’s a balanced offense. You have to be ready for a lot of different things.”Dallas also made a dramatic midseason turn.After starting 3-5, the Cowboys made a deal for receiver Amari Cooper and everything suddenly changed.Running back Ezekiel Elliott has charged back into the NFL rushing lead and quarterback Dak Prescott started making more potent plays.Dallas’ defense has climbed to No. 4 in yards allowed and now people around town believe the Cowboys could win their first divisional-round game since the 1995 playoffs — if they make it.One thing is clear: Dallas is all-in.“It will be a great challenge. It’s going to take every person over there, but I think defenses like that challenge,” Reich said when asked about slowing down Elliott. “I know our defense will like that challenge. It’s not going to be easy, they are going to get some runs. If Zeke has 95 yards that might be considered a win.”TACKLING STARSWhile much of the focus this weekend will be on high-profile offensive stars such as Luck and Prescott, rookie linebackers Darius Leonard and Leighton Vander Esch will play big roles, too.The league’s official stats show Leonard leading the league with 135 tackles despite missing one game with an injury.Vander Esch has played well, too. The Cowboys credit him with 136 tackles, tied for the franchise’s rookie record Pat McAfee Color Rush Jersey , league stats show Vander Esch with 108 — tied for No. 6 overall and second among rookies to Leonard.LINE DANCEWhile Colts starting center Ryan Kelly could return after missing three straight games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, Cowboys right guard Zack Martin will miss a game for the first time in his career in what would’ve been his first trip to his hometown.Martin, a four-time Pro Bowler and 2014 All-Pro, sprained the MCL in his left knee during the preseason and left both games against defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia after aggravating the injury. He returned to the first Philadelphia game, but didn’t come back in last week’s victory and has been declared out for Sunday.Kelly, meanwhile, was limited in practice Wednesday. He said he hopes to play through the pain with a brace.Before he was injured, the Colts allowed one sack in six games. Indy has given up six sacks in the three games he missed.REJOINING THE YOUNGSTERS?Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee practiced this week for first time since leaving a game Nov. 5 against Tennessee with his second hamstring injury this season and he could be rejoining the linebacker rotation Sunday.If he does, the focus will be on how it works.Vander Esch and Lee play the same position and 23-year-old Jaylon Smith, a former Notre Dame star, also played well this season. The two youngsters have embraced playing big roles while Lee, a 2014 All-Pro choice, was on the mend.FANCY FEETEight Colts players will wear special cleats this weekend to promote various charities.Luck will wear shoes bearing Indianapolis’ renown Riley Hospital for Children, which he has worked with since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2012.Three players — Leonard, linebacker Anthony Walker and safety Mathias Farley — are using their cleats to draw attention to the Edwin Jackson 53 Foundation. Jackson was killed in a traffic accident in February.