Regeln » The Indianapolis Colts may not be complete

Win or go home. ly eliminated from playoff contention with a loss at home against the Dallas Cowboys but it should approach the game that way. The margin for error has disappeared. The last few games will determine everything and the toughest game during the final stretch Nyheim Hines Color Rush Jersey , at least on paper, is against a hot Cowboys team that has taken off since it pilfered the Oakland Raiders in the Amari Cooper trade.While the teams play in different conferences and only meet every four years, outside of preseason, there will be a great deal of familiarity on both sides of the ball. Dallas is in the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles. Frank Reich’s offensive style is similar to Doug Pederson’s and the Cowboys have to face that offense twice a year. Indianapolis Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus brings a lot to the table. The Cowboys will be looking at a defense that is eerily similar to the one they practice against throughout the week — as will the Colts. Reich and Eberflus will both be familiar with Dallas’ offense as well.In a battle of coaching wits and likely few surprises, which team will prevail? The following keys could determine the outcome.PESTER PRESCOTTNo team has been more consistently recognized for its line play over the last four or five years than the Cowboys. Fortunate for the Colts, the unit is having an off year. Dallas has allowed 48 sacks this season, which is the second worst total in the NFL behind only the Houston Texans. The Colts? Second best in the NFL with only 16 sacks allowed.Matt Eberflus did a masterful job of keeping Deshaun Watson uncomfortable last week in Houston. He forced Watson to stay in the pocket, drew up stifling zone coverage, and allowed the speed of his defense to take advantage. This week will require more of the same. If Dak Prescott is trapped in the pocket, good things will happen. Drives will end. The field position battle will turn in Indy’s favor. ENCUMBER ELLIOTTEzekiel Elliott is the most talented running back the Colts have faced all season. He has the ability to take over a football game and can turn a small crease into a big play. He leads the league in rushing yards.Can Anthony Walker and Darius Leonard use their speed to eliminate him from the game plan? Can the Colts offense establish a lead and force Dallas to throw the ball? This game will be a big test for Indy’s defense and will go a long way in legitimizing this season’s success against opponents on the ground. How much of it is due to a relatively weak slate of rushing opponents?We are all about to find out. If Elliott is unable to get things going, Prescott could be a sitting duck.LEAN ON LUCKWhile the Colts are far more successful in games where they are able to maintain offensive balance, Andrew Luck is the heartbeat. If there is one player who turns the tide in favor of the Colts in any game it has to be Luck.He is having an incredible season and has proven to the world that he can make every throw. He has been given the time to scan the field https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Johnny-Unitas-Jersey , allow plays to develop, and the space to step up into the pocket to connect with his targets on methodical, rhythmic drives that tire out opposing defenses.His command of the offense can determine today’s outcome. Dak Prescott has no interest in getting into a shootout with Luck. COMPLETE THE CATCHI mentioned margin for error. It is very small. Games are determined based upon the outcome of only a handful of plays. The Colts cannot afford to throw away opportunities.A young group of pass catchers has a nasty habit of trying to run before they secure the ball. They have a habit of tipping a ball in the air instead of knocking it down. Sometimes they have a habit of letting the ball get into their chest or bounce off of their hands. This can’t happen down the stretch.If Indianapolis can reduce or eliminate unforced errors, it can force the Cowboys to do the same. Mistakes happen in every football game and, today, the Colts need to be sure that they allow the bulk of them to occur on the other sideline. Securing catchable passes will go a long way toward reaching that goal.MAKE THE REICH CALLSIt has been a long time that Colts fans have been able to look back at a season and debate whether aggressive decisions at key moments in games were the right choice. The franchise has featured a relatively conservative head coach since at least the late 90s. This year, the team has taken on an entirely different attitude. Frank Reich has been aggressive almost to a fault. Some of the time, this has worked out in his favor. Other times, it has resulted in disaster. Reich is nearly through his first season as an NFL head coach and needs to finish the season on a high note. What has he learned from the calls he’s made to this point? How will they impact his play-calling in difficult situations today? If it comes down to a tough decision, will he make the Reich one?The answer to that question could easily be the difference between a playoff berth or an early off-season. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ka’imi Fairbairn took advantage of his final chance Sunday.The third-year kicker missed a 59-yarder to win the game at the end of regulation, then a 37-yarder near the end of overtime. But the Indianapolis Colts had called timeout just before that one, and Fairbairn finally made the decisive kick as time expired to help Houston snap the league’s longest losing streak with a 37-34 victory at Indianapolis.“It was a rollercoaster. I was just trying to steady Jacoby Brissett Jersey ,” Fairbairn said. “That’s exactly what we needed.”Nothing went according to the script.Just moments earlier, Adam Vinatieri, the NFL’s new career field goals leader, thought he might get to it.But after Andrew Luck bounced a short pass to Chester Rogers on fourth-and-4 from his own 43-yard line, Deshaun Watson got the ball back with 24 seconds left and no timeouts and found DeAndre Hopkins for a 24-yard completion to get Fairbairn into position.His first try sailed wide as the crowd roared. But coach Frank Reich called timeout in an effort to ice Fairbairn, who made the second one .The bigger question, though, was about Reich’s decision to go for it rather than punt and settle for a tie.“We’re not playing to tie,” Reich said. “We’re going for that 10 times out of 10. That (play) has just got to work.”When it didn’t, the Texans‘ nine-game losing streak was over with their first win since Nov. 19.The most promising news for Houston (1-3), though, was that Watson & Co. appeared to be in sync.Watson finished 29 of 42 with 375 yards Reggie Wayne Color Rush Jersey , two touchdowns and one interception while running six times for 41 yards and another score. He connected with Hopkins 10 times for 169 yards and a score, and Keke Coutee 11 times for 109 yards. And Watson made enough plays late in regulation and overtime to give Fairbairn a chance.The Texans’ defense harassed Luck all day, sacking him four times, limited Indy’s ground game to just 41 yards on 17 carries and converted two turnovers into 14 points.“It was very unconventional, but we’ll take it,” J.J. Watt said after recording two more sacks and becoming the second-fastest in league history to 80.It’s the third time in four weeks Indy (1-3) has fallen short in the closing minutes, this one spoiling Vinatieri’s milestone day.The 45-year-old kicker became the league’s career leader in field goals when he made a 42-yarder with 2 seconds left in the first half. He extended the mark to 567 with a 44-yarder that gave Indy a 34-31 lead with 6 minutes left in overtime.Vinatieri moved past Hall of Famer Morten Andersen, who had 565 career field goals.But Fairbairn tied the score with a 29-yard kick and won it with the 37-yarder.Luck was 40 of 62 for a career-high 464 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions but lamented his last throw.“I did not get the ball to Chester to make the play and I’m sick about it,” he said.Still, Luck gave Indy a chance after trailing 28-7 midway through the third quarter.He threw a 14-yard TD pass to Nyheim Hines, a 5-yard TD pass to Eric Ebron and a 9-yard TD pass to Hines before tying the score at 31 with a 2-point conversion pass to Rogers with 45 seconds to go in regulation.Vinatieri’s overtime field goal gave Indy a 34-31 lead but the defense couldn’t close it out.“Any time you win a game, no matter how you win it https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Rigoberto-Sanchez-Jersey , it’s great,” Hopkins said. “We knew what we were up against. We had to go out and finish it.”RECORD WATCHVinatieri also tied Gary Anderson for the second-most field-goal attempts in league history with 672, but he wasn’t the only record-breaker.Luck broke the Colts’ single-game franchise record for attempts, tied the franchise mark for completions, wound up second in franchise history for single-game yards and came within a whisker of tying the franchise’s largest regular-season comeback (21).Watt recorded two sacks in his second straight game, extending his own record to seven. And Coutee broke Andre Johnson’s franchise record for most receptions (six) in an NFL debut.INJURY REPORTTexans: Hopkins started despite dealing with thumb, ankle and hamstring injuries all week. Will Fuller V left with a hamstring injury late in the first half and linebacker Brian Peters did not return after injuring his ankle.Colts: Hilton suffered a chest injury in the first half and cornerback Kenny Moore II left with a concussion. Hilton returned but left later after hurting his hamstring.UP NEXTTexans: Host cross-state rival Dallas next Sunday night.Colts: Head to New England on Thursday night.