Dallas Cowboys.This week Andy Isabella Jersey , the Indianapolis Colts‘ first-year defensive coordinator has resorted to football’s version of insider trading.He’s explained the challenges Indy’s defense faces Sunday against the Cowboys’ resurgent offense; gave Andrew Luck and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni the skinny on potential matchups; and is trying to help the Colts gain an advantage in a pivotal game. In the NFL, of course, it’s just business as usual.“Am I familiar with the team? Yes, I am familiar with the team. Am I familiar with the coaches? Yup, a lot of them are my good friends,” Eberflus said. “So it’s a little bit different in that regard because I was with them so long, but in terms of preparation for the opponent, it’s really not that much different.”Eberflus took a traditional path to his first job as the defensive signal caller.He started as a student assistant and graduate assistant at the University of Toledo, moved on to Missouri and eventually became the linebackers coach in Dallas, where he worked under coordinators Rob Ryan, Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli. There he continued to hone his philosophy with the Tampa 2 defense.But then things took a strange twist.Eberflus was originally hired by Josh McDaniels Zach Allen Jersey , who later reneged on his agreement to take Indy’s head coaching job last winter. General manager Chris Ballard insisted all three coaches McDaniels hired would remain on the next coach’s staff.So when Frank Reich first became a candidate, he started doing some background work and received nothing but rave reviews.“Chris’ endorsement was really strong,” Reich said. “Chris was very persuasive and very strong in his conviction that Matt was the right guy. It really couldn’t have worked out any better. I know it’s crazy. It’s really an odd way for it to come together, but it literally couldn’t have come together any better.”Now, the Colts’ stock is surging.In less than one season, Eberflus has taken Indy’s oft-maligned defense from No. 30 in the league to No. 11. The Colts (7-6) already have 10 more sacks than they did all of last season and find themselves ranked among the league’s top 10 in tackles for loss, negative plays and turnovers forced.Linebacker Darius Leonard leads the league in tackles (135) and is on pace to break the league’s record for a rookie even though he missed one game with an injury. Defensive lineman Denico Autry has five sacks in the last two games and many believe Eberflus has been one of the primary reasons behind the turnaround.“He came in and was like, ‘This is probably going to be one of the hardest things you do. Just flying around to the ball it’s easy to say it, but it’s going to be hard to do it every down,'” safety Clayton Geathers said earlier this week. “That’s what it was, holding everybody accountable. I’m very impressed with the defense Hakeem Butler Jersey , how he’s holding everybody accountable and everybody just flying around to the ball.”As a result, Indy (7-6) rebounded from a 1-5 start by winning six of its last seven games and is now part of a four-way tie with Baltimore, Miami and Tennessee for the AFC’s sixth and final playoff spot.Luck and tight end Eric Ebron are having the best seasons of their careers, receiver T.Y. Hilton looks like he’ll make another Pro Bowl, and a win Sunday against the NFC East-leading Dallas (8-5) could go a long way in helping the Colts end a three-year playoff drought.So while the Colts have some detailed information about what the Cowboys will do, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett also hopes to exploit his keen sense of what Eberflus may try, too.“You run into these things a lot in football where you’ve had someone in the organization go somewhere else — division opponents and all that kind of stuff,” Garrett said. “So it typically cuts both ways, but really happy for Matt (and) the job he is doing there.”NOTES: Colts center Ryan Kelly was limited in practice Wednesday but hopes to return to the lineup against Dallas. He’s missed three consecutive games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. If he can’t play, Evan Boehm will likely remain in the starting lineup. … Geathers, safety Mike Mitchell (calf) Chris Lindstrom Jersey , right guard Mark Glowinski (ankle) and Hilton (ankle) all missed practice Wednesday. … Tight end Mo Alie-Cox (calf), safety Malik Hooker (hip) and defensive tackle Margus Hunt (knee) all did limited work in practice. … After waiving tight end Erik Swoope on Tuesday, Reich called it a “tough move” on Wednesday. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — It’s not uncommon for NFL players to be optimistic heading into training camp.It happens every year as teams gear up in the summer and start thinking about making the playoffs and dreaming about winning a Super Bowl.What was a little surprising Wednesday was the optimism of Giants offensive coordinator Mike Shula and defensive coordinator James Bettcher in May.Just days after the draft, both men went out of their way to say how excited they were heading into 2019, Pat Shurmur’s second season as coach.Shula said the offense — now without the traded Odell Beckham Jr. — is light years ahead of last year; two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning is looking great at 38; and No. 6 overall draft pick and quarterback heir apparent Daniel Jones will be ready to play if needed.Bettcher, whose defense had trouble holding leads last season, is stoked to be working with a mixture of veterans Janoris Jenkins, Antoine Bethea, Jabrill Peppers and Markus Golden along with several recently added draft picks, led by defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II and cornerback DeAndre Baker http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jahlani-tavai-jersey , both taken in the first round with Jones.“I am hoping it can be an aggressive, attacking defense that dictates,” Bettcher said. “As I look at where it is at today and moving to tomorrow, I believe that is what it can be.”The Giants are going to have a different look on defense. Perennial leading tackle Landon Collins signed with Washington and sacks leader Olivier Vernon was traded to Cleveland for guard Kevin Zeitler. Edge rusher Connor Barwin, safety Curtis Riley and defensive lineman Kerry Wynn all are gone.Like any other coordinator, Bettcher admitted he would have liked the Giants to have taken a defensive player with the sixth pick overall, but he said the needs of the team come first.“You have had the conversations and given your opinion on the player, the individual player as we would talk about them,” Bettcher said of his talks with general manager Dave Gettleman. “The emotion gets taken out of it. There is great communication and it is clear communication.”Shula said Jones has all the tools. He has a good arm, is smart, asks good questions and learned plenty in the recent rookie camp.“Obviously with any young guy Kyler Murray Jersey , whether it is Daniel or whoever you have, I think you have to make sure that those guys, you find out what they can do best and get them on the field doing that to start with, and then go from there,” Shula said. “I think he’s got that capability.”The big ask for the offense this season will be replacing Beckham. Sterling Shepard and free agent signee Golden Tate will carry the load with tight end Evan Engram and a group of receivers, including speedy draft pick Darius Slayton.“The receivers we put on the field are going to be the guys that we are confident in and who we want to go out there to make plays,” receiver coach Tyke Tolbert said. “Doesn’t matter what number you want to put on it, we are going to play the best players at all positions, and I feel confident that whoever we put on the field, they are going to be able to go out there and make plays and help us win games.”
