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INDIANAPOLIS 鈥?Matt Eberflus spent seven
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# 22.07.2019 - 09:29:51
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compiling information on the Dallas Cowboys.This week Parris Campbell Jersey , the Indianapolis Colts‘ first-year defensive coordinator has resorted to football’s version of insider trading.He’s explained the challenges Indy’s defense faces Sunday against the Cowboys’ resurgent offense; gave Andrew Luck and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni the skinny on potential matchups; and is trying to help the Colts gain an advantage in a pivotal game. In the NFL, of course, it’s just business as usual.“Am I familiar with the team? Yes, I am familiar with the team. Am I familiar with the coaches? Yup, a lot of them are my good friends,” Eberflus said. “So it’s a little bit different in that regard because I was with them so long, but in terms of preparation for the opponent, it’s really not that much different.”Eberflus took a traditional path to his first job as the defensive signal caller.He started as a student assistant and graduate assistant at the University of Toledo, moved on to Missouri and eventually became the linebackers coach in Dallas, where he worked under coordinators Rob Ryan, Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli. There he continued to hone his philosophy with the Tampa 2 defense.But then things took a strange twist.Eberflus was originally hired by Josh McDaniels, who later reneged on his agreement to take Indy’s head coaching job last winter. General manager Chris Ballard insisted all three coaches McDaniels hired would remain on the next coach’s staff.So when Frank Reich first became a candidate, he started doing some background work and received nothing but rave reviews.“Chris’ endorsement was really strong,” Reich said. “Chris was very persuasive and very strong in his conviction that Matt was the right guy. It really couldn’t have worked out any better. I know it’s crazy. It’s really an odd way for it to come together, but it literally couldn’t have come together any better.”Now, the Colts’ stock is surging.In less than one season, Eberflus has taken Indy’s oft-maligned defense from No. 30 in the league to No. 11. The Colts (7-6) already have 10 more sacks than they did all of last season and find themselves ranked among the league’s top 10 in tackles for loss, negative plays and turnovers forced.Linebacker Darius Leonard leads the league in tackles (135) and is on pace to break the league’s record for a rookie even though he missed one game with an injury. Defensive lineman Denico Autry has five sacks in the last two games and many believe Eberflus has been one of the primary reasons behind the turnaround.“He came in and was like, ‘This is probably going to be one of the hardest things you do. Just flying around to the ball it’s easy to say it, but it’s going to be hard to do it every down,'” safety Clayton Geathers said earlier this week. “That’s what it was http://www.coltsfanshop.com/Ben-Banogu-Jersey , holding everybody accountable. I’m very impressed with the defense, how he’s holding everybody accountable and everybody just flying around to the ball.”As a result, Indy (7-6) rebounded from a 1-5 start by winning six of its last seven games and is now part of a four-way tie with Baltimore, Miami and Tennessee for the AFC’s sixth and final playoff spot.Luck and tight end Eric Ebron are having the best seasons of their careers, receiver T.Y. Hilton looks like he’ll make another Pro Bowl, and a win Sunday against the NFC East-leading Dallas (8-5) could go a long way in helping the Colts end a three-year playoff drought.So while the Colts have some detailed information about what the Cowboys will do, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett also hopes to exploit his keen sense of what Eberflus may try, too.“You run into these things a lot in football where you’ve had someone in the organization go somewhere else 鈥?division opponents and all that kind of stuff,” Garrett said. “So it typically cuts both ways, but really happy for Matt (and) the job he is doing there.”NOTES: Colts center Ryan Kelly was limited in practice Wednesday but hopes to return to the lineup against Dallas. He’s missed three consecutive games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. If he can’t play, Evan Boehm will likely remain in the starting lineup. … Geathers, safety Mike Mitchell (calf), right guard Mark Glowinski (ankle) and Hilton (ankle) all missed practice Wednesday. … Tight end Mo Alie-Cox (calf), safety Malik Hooker (hip) and defensive tackle Margus Hunt (knee) all did limited work in practice. … After waiving tight end Erik Swoope on Tuesday, Reich called it a “tough move” on Wednesday. With the Colts preparing to face the Chiefs just two days from now, the pressure is on for both teams to come out with their absolute best in this contest. The Colts have been rolling, winning 10 of their last 11 games, while the Chiefs have experienced a bit of a lull after the bye, losing two critical pieces of their offense which has taken them from historically great to just regular great. Today we are going to take a look at some of the critical matchups in this game and how they will impact its outcome. With two teams like this, you can bet there are a lot of them.Colts offensive line vs Chiefs pass rushPhoto by Tim Warner/Getty ImagesThis is probably the most important matchup in this game. The Chiefs have a solid pass rush, tied for first in the league in sacks with 52.While there is more to the pass rush than just sacks Rock Ya-Sin Jersey , it is certainly the primary goal, and indicates they are capable of getting after the passer. It is important to remember that most of the teams the Chiefs have faced have been forced into passing the ball early, which creates the opportunity to get after the quarterback when the running game is less of a concern. If the Colts can keep the game close, it will help negate the pass rush to some degree.Even if they are not able to keep the game terribly close, they should be able to handle this pass rush fairly effectively. The Colts offensive line has been one of the best in football, and Andrew Luck gets the ball out on average in 2.63 seconds. That is good for fourth fastest among playoff QBs and is part of what has kept him upright all season. Ultimately, the pressure will be on Anthony Castonzo, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski, Braden Smith, Mo Alie-Cox, and the running backs to communicate effectively inside what will be a raucous Arrowhead Stadium and make sure they pick up their matchups. If they can neutralize that pass rush, the offense should have little issues moving the ball all day.T.Y. Hilton vs Chiefs secondaryPhoto by Bob Levey/Getty ImagesT.Y. Hilton has been a major factor in the Colts late season success, and it has come in spite of his ankle being in rough shape. Now though, he has said it is improving and he felt better in the Texans game than he had against the Titans the week before. With another week spending time on rehab and missing practice, he is likely to be feeling even better. That’s good, because he’ll be facing a secondary that is nowhere near equipped to deal with him. They play man coverage, which is tough to do against Hilton unless you are an elite cornerback. Frank Reich puts his players in situations where the secondary has to make no-win decisions, and when you couple that with Hilton being prodigiously skilled, it makes for a long day. I would look for him to be involved early [url=https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Le_Raven-Clark-Jersey]https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Le_Raven-Clark-Jersey[/url] , because if he is moving the ball well, it will mean the defense needs to make adjustments for him. That opens up guys like Dontrelle Inman, Eric Ebron, and Nyheim Hines, who are every bit as capable of doing damage. If the Colts are going to get a win, they need to dominate the Chiefs’ secondary. They’ll have to score points to counteract the potent offense of the Chiefs, and Hilton’s success is a critical part of that.Marlon Mack vs Chiefs front sevenPhoto by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesMarlon Mack has had a breakout year in 2018. His playoffs started with a bang as well, rushing for 148 yards and setting a new franchise record for rushing yards in a playoff game. Mack has improved across the board this season, and will be running the ball behind the full starting offensive line and against a run defense that has been poor at best. It will be critical to have success running the ball early and often for this team, and Mack is where that starts. The offensive line should be able to create running lanes for him, and Mack is capable of making guys miss and gashing teams for big plays. If he is able to do that and let the offense remain balanced, this team should be able to hang in a high scoring game.Colts pass defense vs Travis KelcePhoto by Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesPerhaps the most influential matchup in this game will be between the Colts defenders and Travis Kelce. Kelce is a dangerous weapon in the passing game and has caught at least 5 balls in every game but their week 1 matchup. He has 1336 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. That’s 60 more yards than T.Y. Hilton has. In other words, he is essentially like a massive # 1 wide receiver. He averages 92.4 yards per game, and 17 yards per reception. While the tendency given his crazy speed is to worry about Tyreek Hill, this is the guy the Colts need to focus on. They haven’t really been beaten up by deep plays all season and I don’t really expect that to be a major storyline in this game either. They have, however, struggled against tight ends. If they hope to slow the Chiefs’ offense, it starts with slowing down Travis Kelce. That means good communication, making sure they know their assignments, and playing heads up football. Quincy Wilson has had some luck in physical man coverage against bigger receivers, and he may see usage in coverage on Kelce at times. Anthony Walker has had several very near picks because Leonard or one of the corners has gotten a hand in a passing lane going to a tight end in the middle of the field. In the playoffs [url=https://www.coltsfanshop.com/T.Y.-Hilton-Jersey]T.Y. Hilton Jersey[/url] , that needs to be a pick, not a near pick. This will be a major matchup if the Colts hope to get out with a win.Matt Eberflus vs Patrick MahomesPhoto by Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesThe big one. Patrick Mahomes has had an insane year. In his first year as a starter, Mahomes has thrown for 5097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. It certainly doesn’t hurt that he did that surrounded by the best offensive skill position players in the league and a head coach who has a knack for brilliant offensive play calling, but ultimately he has to get them the ball, and his play has been brilliant and he deserves credit for it. Matt Eberflus has been an excellent calling the Colts defense this season, and has gotten better as the season has gone on. He has clearly gotten a feel for his players and how to best use them. This matchup will be by far his toughest of the season. Mahomes is unlike any quarterback he has faced in his ability to extend plays and make ridiculous throws. One of the most significant talents Mahomes possesses is his ability to extend plays. He has incredible arm strength and is able to throw the ball from a variety of arm angles, and that ability paired with his feel and mobility allows him to roll out when under pressure and create opportunities for his skill players. Time and time again this season he has done this and converted on third downs or for touchdowns because of it.To win this matchup, Eberflus needs to get pressure from his interior defensive linemen. They need Margus Hunt and Denico Autry to be consistently collapsing the pocket from the inside. However, that alone will not be enough. They will need to do that in conjunction with sending a timely blitz or simply making sure the linebackers or defensive ends are keeping contain so that Mahomes cannot roll out and burn the coverage by extending plays. The Chiefs’ skill position players are too talented to make the cornerbacks cover them for 4-5+ seconds, and if the Colts defensive line can’t get pressure, that spells a really bad day for them. I anticipate that Eberflus will attempt to mix up his looks to keep the young quarterback on his toes and try to get pressure inside consistently using stunts and twists to minimize his need to send more than 4. He will need to have his players playing disciplined, penalty-free football as well, because this offense doesn’t need any freebies. Ultimately, this game will require defenders stepping up and getting takeaways. Kenny Moore and Darius Leonard have been two of the Colts strongest defenders over the back half of the season. Now is the time for them to do what great players do in huge games. Go out and make game altering plays for their team.