Stout Colts Defense<\/p>\n
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By Tim Sullivan \nLarry Johnson <\/strong>came and went. Jamal Lewis<\/strong>, too. Two pretty good running backs. Two pretty good rush offenses. Two pretty good teams — Kansas City and Baltimore — headed home early.<\/p>\n But on Sunday, the suddenly stout Indianapolis Colts<\/a> defense will face a dynamic duo at running back. New England’s<\/a> Corey Dillon <\/strong>and Laurence Maroney <\/strong>figure to test Indianapolis in every way imaginable. Inside, outside, running, receiving, you name it.<\/p>\n Still, the Colts are -3 on WagerWeb.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n “We’re playing better,\u201d Colts coach Tony Dungy <\/strong>said. \u201cWe’re tackling a little bit better. We’ve always had a pretty good rush in the long-yardage situations, but in the third-and-5, third-and-6, we’ve tackled the underneath throws a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n As evidenced by the fact that Indianapolis’ opponents are just 3-of-22 on third-down conversions this postseason. Not bad for a defense that was simply getting gashed by non-playoff teams like Jacksonville last month.<\/p>\n “It’s not the people, it’s not the scheme,\u201d Dungy said. \u201cIt’s doing your job on every play.\u201d<\/p>\n But, surely, it helps that safety Bob Sanders <\/strong>is back on the field. After surgery on his right knee, Sanders has lit a fire under this unit. Everything he seems to do lately, he’s been doing well. When he blitzes, he gets to the quarterback. When he roams the middle, he stops the run. When he drops in coverage, he breaks up passes.<\/p>\n “Since I’ve been back, it seems like the guys have a lot more energy,” Sanders said. “But we’re in the playoffs, so that may be it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Ah, but the latter part of that theory hasn’t held much weight in Indianapolis, Bob. The Colts didn’t have much energy in the divisional round loss to the Steelers last season, did they?<\/p>\n Either way, something’s going right these days. Whether it’s Sanders, whether it’s an intense playoff focus, whether it’s simply the fact that the Colts are tired of getting kicked around this time of year, Indianapolis is to reckoned with, no matter how lethal Tom Brady <\/strong>and Co. can be in January.<\/p>\n “We’re having fun,” Colts linebacker Cato June <\/strong>said.<\/p>\n How much longer that lasts remains to be seen.<\/p>\n FATHER AND SON: <\/strong>The Dolphins can do a lot worse than Mike Shula <\/strong>as the replacement for Nick Saban<\/strong>. Shula — who had to assume suspended scholarships and an overall messy situation yet still won the Cotton Bowl two seasons ago and put the Crimson Tide in the Liberty Bowl this season — got a raw deal at Alabama and may need an NFL gig to show the world he can recover.<\/p>\n Now, taking a job that his father, Don<\/strong>, made famous won’t be easy. But if he can survive a position that Bear Bryant <\/strong>held, he can do anything. Shula interviewed in Miami on Tuesday.<\/p>\n “He’s got a lot of his dad in him,” Dolphins chief executive officer Joe Bailey <\/strong>said, “very, very smart, very assertive, very firm.”<\/p>\n Very available, too.<\/p>\n EXTRA POINTS: <\/strong>New Giants general manager Jerry Reese <\/strong>said running back Tiki Barber <\/strong>would be welcomed back should he decide to unretire. Reese would be better served finding someone in the free-agent market to compete with backup Brandon Jacobs<\/strong>, who doesn’t seem ready to handle the full-time role just yet. Barber isn’t coming back anytime soon. … Chicago defensive end Adewale Ogunleye <\/strong>(quadriceps) is practicing with the team and should start in the NFC title game against New Orleans on Sunday. The Bears are -2.5 on WagerWeb.com. <\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Stout Colts Defense By Tim Sullivan WagerWeb.com contributing writer Larry Johnson came and went. Jamal Lewis, too. Two pretty good running backs. Two pretty good rush offenses. Two pretty good teams — Kansas City and Baltimore — headed home early. But on Sunday, the suddenly stout Indianapolis Colts defense will face a dynamic duo at … Continue reading Stout Colts Defense<\/span>
\nWagerWeb.com<\/a> contributing writer<\/p>\n