Raritäten/Infos » Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack kept his

eyes down the field and his legs churning Sunday.His teammates took the cue.The offensive line created enough space for Mack to run for a career-high 139 yards and two scores Indianapolis Colts T-Shirts , an improving defense smothered the league’s hottest offense and the Colts rolled past Dallas 23-0 to stay in the AFC playoff hunt.“When I saw those holes, I was like ‘Yeah, it might be a good day,'” Mack said. “Holes like that don’t come often.”If Mack continues to exploit the creases, there’s no telling what the Colts (8-6) could do if they earn a postseason trip.Since losing five of their first six, Indy has won seven of eight. Andrew Luck continues to play the best football of his career and Mack appears ready to thrive with starting center Ryan Kelly back in the lineup.The Colts’ vastly improved defense has allowed 27 points over the past three weeks including two games against division leaders, Houston and Dallas, and has its first shutout since a 27-0 victory over Cincinnati on Oct. 19, 2004.“Against that team, with the guys they have, it’s tough,” coach Frank Reich said. “They have some of the best (offensive) guys in the NFL.”While the Colts (8-6) celebrated, Dallas was dismayed.The Cowboys (8-6) came out flat on offense, wore down on defense and failed to clinch the NFC East title as a five-game winning streak ended.Ezekiel Elliott ran 18 times for 87 yards and caught seven passes for 41 yards. Amari Cooper had four catches for 32 yards and Dak Prescott was 24 of 39 for 206 yards with one interception.But Mack set the tone with a physical 19-yard run on his first carry, ran 22 times and matched his career best for scoring runs — all against the league’s No. 3 run defense.The result: Dallas gave up its first 100-yard game since Week 9 and endured its first shutout since losing 12-0 to the Patriots on Nov. 16, 2003.“Obviously, we didn’t play well enough in any phase of our game to win,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “We can’t allow them to run the ball the way they want to run it.”That wasn’t the only problem.The Colts repeatedly took advantage of Cowboys’ miscues.When Denico Autry blocked a Dallas field-goal attempt , Mack capitalized with a 1-yard TD plunge. Luck cashed in on a defensive holding call against Anthony Brown on third down to set up Adam Vinatieri for a 43-yard field goal to make it 10-0 at the half.Mack opened the second half with a 6-yard scoring run and Vinatieri sealed it with two more field goals.Defensively, the Colts made big play after big play, too.Elliott lost 2 yards and the ball on fourth-and-1 from the Colts 3, Dallas was knocked out of field-goal range on Tyquan Lewis‘ sack on the Cowboys’ final chance in the first half, Pierre Desir and Darius Leonard each ended drives by breaking up passes in the second half and George Odum capped it with a late interception.Mack took care of the rest.“He ran well https://www.coltsfanshop.com/hats , he does all the little things really, really well,” Luck said.STAT PACKCowboys: Dallas lost its first game in the series since 2002 and finished with no sacks and only three quarterback hits. … The Cowboys finished with 292 yards, their lowest total since acquiring Cooper in a trade.Colts: Luck was 16 of 27 for 192 yards while T.Y. Hilton caught five passes for 85 yards despite not practicing all week because of an ankle injury. … Lewis had two of the Colts three sacks.INJURY REPORTCowboys: Right guard Zack Martin missed the first game of his career with an injured left knee. Dallas improvised by moving left guard Connor Williams to right guard and inserting Xavier Su’a-Filo at right guard. But Su’a-Filo left early in the second quarter with an eye injury and did not return.Colts: Veteran backup Joe Haeg replaced right guard Mark Glowinski (ankle) in the starting lineup and defensive tackle Al Woods left in the third quarter with an injured leg and did not return.THEY SAID ITCowboys: “The field goal just before halftime seemed to demoralize our team,” team owner Jerry Jones said.Colts: “Zeke doesn’t get stopped too much in that situation,” Reich said of the goal-line stand. “I don’t know what the numbers are but it was a huge play.”UP NEXTCowboys: Get a second chance to clinch the division title next Sunday when they host Tampa Bay.Colts: Close out their home schedule next weekend when Eli Manning and the New York Giants return to Lucas Oil Stadium for the first time since winning the Super Bowl after the 2011 season. Since even before the legal tampering period was officially underway, NFL free agency has been buzzing with activity and a ton of money has been thrown out by franchises who are looking to snag big..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteStampede Bluean Indianapolis Colts communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsColtsShopAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Colts StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Colts NewsYahoo Colts Team PageYahoo Colts ReportYahoo Colts Depth ChartYahoo Colts TransactionsYahoo Colts PhotosShop About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub ✕Filed under:Free AgencyColts Free AgencyUPDATED 2019 Indianapolis Colts free agency “cheat sheet”New,148commentsEDTShareTweetShareShareUPDATED 2019 Indianapolis Colts free agency “cheat sheet”Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsSince even before the legal tampering period was officially underway, NFL free agency has been buzzing with activity and a ton of money has been thrown out by franchises who are looking to snag big name contributor who they hope will play an important role in a better outcome this season. While Chris Ballard had more cash (and still does) than any team in the NFL at the starting gate, fans in Indianapolis should have already been aware that his philosophy doesn’t include throwing money around simply because he has it. Even knowing this, fans get restless watching many of their most coveted free agents make their way onto other franchises. Only time will tell if the aggressive efforts by the Cleveland Browns will deliver results. Perhaps Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden will do a masterful job of creating a healthy locker room culture. It wasn’t long ago that the Philadelphia Eagles spent wildly in free agency to put a “dream team” on the field only to watch things fall apart. Perhaps the lessons from the Eagles are easy to forget or perhaps they were only an anomaly. One things seems pretty certain, Colts fans shouldn’t expect anything like that while Chris Ballard is general manager in Indianapolis. Let’s take a look at how things have played out over the first 16 hours of free agency and how the Colts free agent cheat sheet has changed.Wide Receiver Tier 1 (Top offensive need)Tyrell WilliamsWilliams will reportedly sign a 4-year, 44 million dollar deal to play with the Oakland Raiders. This is a reasonable deal and shouldn’t have been prohibitive if Ballard wanted his services.While only time will tell, it should be noted that Nick Sirianni and Frank Reich are both familiar with what Williams brings to the table. The fact that the Colts didn’t push harder for his services might say a lot.Adam HumphriesAdam Humphries will reportedly sign a 4 year, 36 million dollar contract with the Tennessee Titans. It was somewhat surprising that he reached an agreement with a team so quickly in the tampering period. It is also surprising that his quick choice destination would be a team that isn’t particularly gifted at passing the ball.This is another reasonable deal where the Colts likely could have pushed up the price if they were really interested. Wide Receiver Tier 2 (Top offensive need)Golden TateThe upside is that Tate has been a highly productive NFL receiver since at least 2013. He has the experience he needs to know how to get open and is difficult to cover one-on-one. He played at Notre Dame so playing in Indiana would be nothing new for him. The downside is his age, as he will be 31 at the start of the 2019 regular season.Dontrelle InmanPerhaps the greatest unsung hero of the Colts monumental turnaround in 2018 was wide receiver Dontrelle Inman. After watching the receiver room catch a nasty case of the drops (does that sound wrong to anyone else?) to start the season, patience was wearing thin. Inman has familiarity working with Frank Reich and Nick Siarinni with the Chargers. He knows where he needs to be and had day-one trust.Devin FunchessWhile Funchess is coming off of a down season, one where he played with a quarterback experiencing major throwing limitations, he is still very young and has a lot of potential. At only 24 years old, he is as young as some of the players who will be drafted in the upcoming draft. He already has NFL playing experience and is only a season removed from what some thought was a breakout performance.Can he rekindle that breakout version of himself in a new offense and with Andrew Luck throwing him the ball? He took a one-year $10M deal as a bet on himself to earn even more in 2020. He also reportedly turned down long-term offers to play with the Colts.Edge Rushers Tier 1 (Top defensive need)Trey FlowersFlowers is expected to sign a 5 year, 90 million dollar deal to be reunited with his former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. This gives the Lions a replacement for the now aging and injury-prone Ziggy Ansah. While Flowers is certainly an exciting young prospect, 90 million dollars is a lot to put down for a player with his sack production.Preston SmithSmith struck me as the type of player Chris Ballard would go after fairly aggressively. He has the potential to be a really effective pass rusher and proven chops as a run defender. To choose Indianapolis, Smith would have to be comfortable making the transition to a 4-3 scheme and playing almost exclusively with his hand in the dirt.Although it was reported that his final options included the Colts Indianapolis Colts Hoodie , he chose the Green Bay Packers and remains in a 3-4 scheme. Maybe scheme wasn’t as important and it all came down to money. It will be interesting to learn more if the rumors about Indy’s interest are true. Smith is expected to sign a 4 year, 52 million dollar deal.Edge Rushers Tier 2 (Top defensive need)Za’Darius SmithSmith is projected to sign a 4 year, 66 millions dollar contract to joint Preston in Green Bay. Between the two, the Packers have now locked in a ton of money with the hopes to rekindle their pass rush. After these moves, Nick Perry was released.Interior Defensive Line Tier 2 (Primary defensive need)Timmy JerniganPrior to suffering a herniated disc that required surgery in April of 2018, Timmy Jernigan was a solid defensive tackle with the Philadalphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. He has the ability to play the run and can get pressure on the quarterback. What makes him a strong prospect is that he wins with strength and has the ability to penetrate the offensive line.Darius PhilonChris Ballard has a knack for finding underappreciated defensive talent that is not getting the attention it deserves. Philon is a disruptive interior defensive lineman who has the strength to hold up against the run and has a knack for getting penetration through the offensive line. There are reasons to believe that he could improve in the simplistic, fast defensive scheme Matt Eberflus and Mike Phair have established in Indianapolis. Safety Tier 1 (Primary defensive need)Landon CollinsCollins is expected to sign a 6 year, 84 millions contract with the Washington Redskins. WOOF!Adrian AmosAmos is expected to sign a 4 year, 36 million dollar deal to join the Green Bay Packers. It is entirely fair to note that Green Bay is throwing a boat load of cash into its defense. This is another reasonably priced deal where there is at least some level of surprise that the Colts weren’t actively involved, unless they weren’t particularly interested.Safety Tier 2 (Primary defensive need)Tre BostonHe is only 26 years old and sliding him in across from Malik Hooker would mean that opponents have to throw into strength on either side of the field when they test Indianapolis deep. Boston is certainly familiar with both Nick Sirianni and Frank Reich as they were both with the Chargers early in his career. Would he be open to a reunion?Clayton GeathersChris Ballard has complimented the hard work Clayton Geathers has shown in his return to football after suffering a neck injury that jeopardized his career. Will his proclivity to show up on the injury report and serve only as a limited practice participant leave him on the outside looking in?Cornerback Tier 1 (Secondary defensive need)Ronald DarbyRonald Darby is one of the best young cornerbacks to hit free agency in years. At just 25 years old, he could have 4-6 years of his prime remaining for whatever franchise chooses to bring him in. Does Pierre Desir’s contract take him off of the table?Cornerback Tier 2 (Secondary defensive need)Pierre DesirDesir is expected to sign a 3 year, 25 million contract to stay with the Indianapolis Colts. This is a great locker room move and Desir is deserving of being rewarded after showing out in consecutive seasons.Steven NelsonNelson is expected to sign a 3 year, 25.5 million contract to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. Frankly, I prefer Desir for less.Linebacker Tier 1 (Tertiary defensive need)Jamie CollinsWhile it is difficult to project the contract Jamie Collins will attract on the open market, he would be a potential upgrade as a SAM linebacker in Indianapolis. He has a nose for the football, a habit for creating turnovers, and the ability to quickly diagnose plays. Once he diagnoses the play, if he is not responsible for dropping into a zone, he will quickly get up the field to pressure the quarterback. The downside is that he is about to turn 30 years old. Linebacker Tier 2 (Tertiary defensive need)Deone BucannonBucannon is expected to sign a 1 year, 2.5 million dollar contract to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This could be a steal if Bucannon can return to form and play in a more realistic role. It is noteworthy that the Colts didn’t enter the fray here and for that price, you have to be pretty confident Ballard never reached out.