Jets facing league’s top ‘D’ vs. Colts
New York will look to kick-start offense against tough unit
The Indianapolis Colts used the offseason to beef up their defense.
They traded for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Deforest Buckner. They moved defensive tackle Denico Autry to defensive end. They signed Pro Bowl cornerback Xavier Rhodes.
After two games, a franchise knownfor winning shootouts suddenly has the league’s top-ranked defense. Hey, it’s a promising start.
“Nobody cares if you’re the top defense Week 1, Week 2, Week 3. Nobody gives a care,” Pro Bowl linebacker Darius Leonard said. “But when you get to Week 15, Week 16, that’s when everybody’s talking about who has the No. 1 defense. So we’ve got to go out and maintain that (ranking).”
Facing the league’s lowest-ranked offense Sunday
could help Indy (1-1) stay on top a little longer.
Coming off a game in which the Colts picked off three passes, recorded three sacks and held Minnesota to 175 total yards, the fewest in six years, they will try to build momentum against the New York Jets (0-2) with up to 7,500 fans in attendance.
What’s gone wrong for the Jets?
They have the fewest yards per game (265.5) in the league, their only firsthalf points have come on
two field goals and they’re 27th in third-down conversions (36 percent).
And this week, they are without receivers Breshad Perriman (ankle) and Jamison Crowder (hamstring), too.
But they’re not giving in. “We have to stay together,” said Frank Gore, who spent three seasons in Indy and is the No. 3 rusher in NFL history. “When we get opportunities to make a play, we need to make a play. I feel like I could have played
better and done things to help this team early on. Everybody has to look at each other and know that. Each man has to do better for this team.”
Meanwhile, they’re facing a foe that prefers to grind it out and play keep away on offense, and allowing its defense to do what it does best.
“That’s the No. 1 goal each week, to stop the run and make the quarterback beat us with his arm,” Leonard said. “And let our defense be great.”
Gore is one of eight players on the active roster who suited up for the Colts. The others are offensive lineman Josh Andrews, defensive end Henry Anderson, linebacker Tarell Basham, safety Matthias Farley and cornerbacks Quincy Wilson, Nate Hairston and Pierre Desir.