INDIANAPOLIS — Frank Reich stuck with his old-school philosophy even when the Indianapolis Colts were losing games in September and early October.The Indianapolis Colts’ first-year coach insisted that even in an increasingly pass-happy league White Johnny Unitas Jersey , a balanced offense would turn them into real AFC contenders.Over the past 11 weeks, the perfect one-two combination has landed plenty of scoring punches, propelling the Colts into an improbable divisional-round matchup at AFC West champion Kansas City.“To me, it’s imposing your will on the defense and what that is, is running when you want to run and throwing when you want to throw and being effective at it,” Reich said on a conference call Sunday. “Always use the boxer analogy, it’s not just throwing punches wildly, it’s landing punches.”Few teams have delivered more big blows since Indy’s 1-5 start.On Saturday, second-year running back Marlon Mack carried 24 times for a career-high 148 yards and one touchdown, leading the Colts (11-6) to a 21-7 victory at Houston. They hurt the league’s No. 3 run defense for a playoff franchise-record 200 yards, breaking the previous mark of 191 from their Super Bowl win over Chicago in February 2007.Mack also broke Zack Crockett’s single-game franchise playoff rushing record (147), set in 1995.And this week, Mack could again become the feature attraction against a defense that finished No. 27 against the run this season.If all this sounds eerily familiar to longtime Chiefs fans, it’s understandable given the previous results.Edgerrin James ran for 125 yards, the third-highest postseason total in franchise history, in a 38-31 victory at Kansas City in January 2004. Joseph Addai rushed for 122 of the Colts’ 188 yards, now the third-highest total in franchise history, in a 23-8 wild-card round victory over Kansas City. That win jump-started Indy’s title run following the 2006 season.“It’s December football into January Johnny Unitas Jersey 2019 ,” tight end Eric Ebron said Saturday. “That’s what we’ve got to try to do. We pass it when we have to, but we’re going to try and dominate the run game and try to dominate the line of scrimmage. That’s the kind of football you have to play now.”Even if it deviates from Indy’s longtime image. With Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck behind center for most of the past two decades, the league-wide perception has largely been the Colts are a pass-first team.But Reich has spent this season trying to find balance, and after a ragged start the Colts have seen the benefits.With All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson, a rookie, solidifying the left side of the offensive line and the emergence of right tackle Braden Smith, another rookie, Indy has been able to run effectively across the field.And when Mack returned after missing four of the first five games because of a hamstring injury, the Colts hit their groove.Mack has run for 1,022 yards and 10 touchdowns in the past 11 games, topping the 100-yard mark five times and establishing career highs in four of those games, including Saturday’s. He ran for 119 yards and a score in the Colts’ Week 17 playoff-clinching victory at Tennessee and is now the first Indy player since James in 2005 to run for a TD in five consecutive games.Not surprisingly, the Colts have gone 10-1 during that stretch, becoming the third team in league history to make the postseason after starting 1-5 and just the second to win a playoff game. The Chiefs also won a wild-card game in the 2015 season before losing at New England in the divisional round.If the Colts can follow the script once more this weekend, they would become the first 1-5 team to play for a conference championship — and there’s no doubt inside this locker room they can.“We know, and Frank has preached this, in any football game whether it’s playoff or not, you need to control the line of scrimmage White Marshall Faulk Jersey ,” Luck said.“By no means was it perfect (Saturday), but man, the positive run yards we got were great and we know that as an offense when we can do that, we can have a great balance. We can throw it a bunch. We can huddle up. We can go up tempo. We can slow down the tempo. We can run it.”97<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:2018-19 NBA cheerleadersJoe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports | Joe Camporeale The Colts prospect interviews are rolling along as we approach the NFL Draft. Today’s player interview is Wisconsin Linebacker Ryan Connelly. The Colts could use depth in their linebacker core and..." Colts AnalysisInterviewsNFL DraftColts Prospect Interviews: Wisconsin LB Ryan ConnellyEDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:Colts Prospect Interviews: Wisconsin LB Ryan ConnellyTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailPhoto by Dylan Buell/Getty ImagesThe Colts prospect interviews are rolling along as we approach the NFL Draft. Today’s player interview is Wisconsin Linebacker Ryan Connelly. The Colts could use depth in their linebacker core and Connelly would be a great addition on and off the field for this Colts’ team.As usual, the interview will be towards the bottom of the page.Connelly interviewed exclusively with Stampede Blue to talk about walking on at Wisconsin, earning a Team Captaincy in 2018, and how he is being underrated in this draft process.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="lrMQ87">BackgroundSize:6’2” 242 poundsMeasurables: 40 Time: 4.67 / 10-yard split: 1.62 / Bench Reps: 17 Reps / Vertical Jump: 34.5 inches / Broad Jump: 118 inches / 3-Cone: 7.09 secondsCareer Stats:251 total tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, 6 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles in his career.Round Projection:Rounds 5-6Fit with the Colts: The Colts appear set with their starting linebackers as Darius Leonard and Anthony Walker both enter another year on the team. They need to work on adding quality depth behind them, though. When either player missed time last year, the drop off in play was rather noticeable. Adding a player like Connelly would help in a variety of ways. First, he can replace Najee Goode as a core special teamer. In addition to providing help there, he can also serve as a solid backup who can step in and play whenever needed. A hard working locker room player who fits the team well and can be had on Day 3? Seems like a great fit to me.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="g8QxJs">Film RoomConnelly’s ability to get into the backfield and make plays immediately pops. He makes a ton of plays in the opponent’s backfield.Connelly brings some upside as a blitzer, as well. He’s constantly in the backfield and has an innate ability to get by pass-protecting running backs.Connelly is just a really solid linebacker that gives 100% effort on every single play.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="9sxwiH">InterviewZH: So, you walked on at Wisconsin after a successful high school career. What went into that decision to walk on there?RC: Really that was my only opportunity to play any sort of Division I football. That was something I really wanted to do, so it was like my only chance and I took it.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="9o5WNb">ZH: I saw that you played QB in high school. How difficult was the transition from high school QB to Wisconsin linebacker?RC: It was... a little bit rough at first Marshall Faulk Jersey 2019 , transitioning. Not having played defense in a while, just tackling was foreign to me at first. I knew I wasn’t going to be a Division I quarterback so I put on some weight to get a little bigger, and I think that kind of helped ease the transition a little bit.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="AWMfk0">ZH: Before we get to the on the field stuff, I read that you were a member of NFF Hampshire Honor Society and All Academic Big Ten player. Were your off the field academics and activities important to you in college?RC: Yes sir. Being a walk on, I had to get into school here first before I could join the team, because that is really how it worked back then. Yeah, though, it has been a big focus, but obviously football has always been my first love.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="f5nzr5">ZH: How great did it feel to go from former walk on to eventually being a player who earned an invite to the Combine?RC: It was pretty exciting and surreal. I remember growing up watching it on NFL Network every year, and getting that invitation and knowing that I would have a chance to go there to do the thing I’ve been watching on TV was pretty cool. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="PGbSwb">ZH: You were a Team Captain this past season at Wisconsin. What did it mean to receive that honor?RC: It was huge, man, especially because it was voted on by my peers and then Coach Chryst ultimately chose. It was quite the honor to be recognized that way. I was pretty happy with that.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="Mlmkrf">ZH: You dealt with injuries this past season in college. How are you feeling now, though, with all that recovery?RC: Everything is going well. Finally being able to lift is a good feeling. This past season, I wasn’t able to squat or do any major lifts because of my core muscle/sports hernia. Now that it is fixed, I am finally able to get back into the weight room like I’m used to and get back to full strength. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="GNcfKc">ZH: Looking at your film, you make a ton of plays in the backfield and force tackles for a loss. What is the key to making plays like that?RC: I think it is two things. One is the confidence to trust what you see and the other is being prepared and having an understanding of what is about to happen. When you have confidence and trust what you see, that is when you can play fast and that is when you can get in the backfield and get TFL’s and whatnot. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ozKcY4">ZH: Linebackers are often called the quarterback of a defense. Would you describe yourself as that?RC: Sure White Marvin Harrison Jersey , man. My responsibility at Wisconsin was me and TJ, as my other linebacker, was that we always would set the front, give different coverage communication calls, and we were definitely the center of everything in terms of being the directors of the defense.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="vglcMW">ZH: Instincts are always talked about as being important for linebackers. In your words though, what are instincts for a linebacker?RC: I would say that it is the ability to feel the play before it happens. I don’t know if whether that comes down to film study or just having done it before or what it is. It’s really just something you feel about to happen and then you react on it. In order to then execute on the instinct, you have to have confidence to be able to do it. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="8kBTlK">ZH: So you went to a big school, were super-productive, loved by your coaches and teammates, and put up excellent numbers at the combine yet I rarely see your name in mock drafts and draft circles. Do you feel like you are being underrated right now?RC: That’s kind of been my whole career. I’ve always kind of flown under the radar. Honestly, I’m just ready to get to a team and then be able to show that I belong there wherever I land. So I’m just excited to get this process over with and get back to normal football again. <hr class="p-entry-hr" id="FnQLw2">ZH: Who in the NFL do you compare yourself to/model your game after?RC: I love watching Luke Kuechly. You can just tell how cerebral he is on the field and that is something that I want to get to. You can tell he knows the play before it is even happening and I really want to get to that point.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="k6Xwz7">ZH: Last question is Colts-related. The Colts have very good linebackers in Darius Leonard and Anthony Walker. What would you bring to that linebacker group if this team drafts you? On and off the field, what would the Colts be getting?RC: I think the biggest thing is just another backer that they can depend on. At Wisconsin, I was always where I was supposed to be, I was always doing my responsibility, and if you needed a play in a big moment, then you could depend on me. I think they could just have added depth and someone they could count on if there were an injury an injury to occur at all.

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