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the art of the comeback while playing quarterback.He cemented his reputation Sunday night.Nearly 11 months after accepting the job Josh McDaniels spurned Darius Leonard Color Rush Jersey , Indianapolis‘ backup choice completed one of the most remarkable midseason turnarounds in league history by leading the Colts to their first playoff berth since 2014. "That was the silver lining, if you will, of a 1-5 start," Reich said Monday, referring to his players' ability to ignore distractions and focus on the upcoming task. "As I have alluded to and some players have alluded to, we've been in this — for lack of a better word — playoff mode for a while, kind of with our backs against the wall."It's only the third time an NFL team has rebounded from such an abysmal start to make the postseason — adding another chapter to Reich's uncanny tale.In November 1984, he replaced Stan Gelbaugh after Maryland fell into a 31-0 halftime deficit at No. 6 Miami and wound up throwing six second-half touchdown passes to give the Terrapins a 42-40 victory — then the largest comeback in Division I history.In January 1993, Reich replaced the injured Jim Kelly in Buffalo's wild-card round game and rallied the two-time defending AFC champs from a 35-3 deficit to beat the Houston Oilers 41-38 in overtime for the largest comeback in NFL history.So when McDaniels reneged on his deal to take over the Colts two days after the Patriots lost to Philadelphia in the Super Bowl, Colts general manager Chris Ballard turned to Reich."The backup role has suited me well in my career," Reich joked in February at his introductory news conference.But a consistent message helped keep players and coaches composed, too.The result: Indy (10-6) won nine of its last 10, beating two division champions and taking the regular-season finale at Tennessee to earn the AFC's No. 6 seed.Reich is the fourth consecutive Colts coach to reach the playoffs in his first season as coach, joining Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell and Chuck Pagano, and now takes a team full of confidence to Houston (11-5) for a wild-card round game Saturday."I don't think there was anything crazy different that happened," left tackle Anthony Castonzo said Sunday when asked about the turnaround. "Guys just maybe focused on their job a little more, and had a little bit more urgency. It didn't really seem like a moment where anything was different. It was just staying that course."The first indication things were changing emerged in early October when Indy's oft-criticized offensive line suddenly began playing better. For five games and 239 consecutive drop backs https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Denzelle-Good-Jersey , the Colts didn't allow a sack. They finished this season allowing a league-low 18 after giving up a league-high 56 in 2017.There were other changes, too.Marlon Mack rushed for more than 100 yards four times, the highest total by a Colts running back since Joseph Addai had four 100-yard games in 2007. Tight end Eric Ebron fulfilled the potential scouts saw when he was in college.And, of course, there was Andrew Luck's resurgence, too.After missing the entire 2017 season because of a partially torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, he wound up finishing with career highs in completions (430), attempts (639), completion rate (67.3 percent) and rating (98.7) and producing his second-best totals in yards passing (4,593) and TDs (39)."This really has been a fulfilling road to this point," Luck said. "I'm not satisfied. We certainly have business to take care of."The defense also came up big.Rookie Darius Leonard led the league in tackles with a franchise-record 163 and Indy has allowed just 16.4 points over its past eight games, prompting some to conclude that Reich may have found his magical touch just in time for another playoff run.Reich, though, is simply sticking to the plan."It's all based on the habits you have formed," he said. "That focus and vision is on getting better every day and then beating the next opponent. That is all that really matters. That's the mindset we've been in. That's the mindset we need to maintain."Notes: Indy signed safety Rolan Milligan to the practice squad and released linebacker Tegray Scales. … The Colts also signed guard William Poehls to a reserve/future contract. The 6-foot-8, 344-pound offensive lineman was on Jacksonville's active roster in 2017, but was waived by the Jaguars on Sept. 1. INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts‘ defense was reeling early this season.After six games, it had allowed an average of 30 points Clayton Geathers Jersey , had given up 37 or more points in three consecutive losses, was languishing near the bottom of the league’s overall rankings and showed no sign of a turnaround.Today, those performances are almost unrecognizable. Though the names remain essentially unchanged, the Colts overcame that dismal start and have emerged as one of the NFL’s stingiest units and a key cog in Indy’s playoff run.“We feel good, we’ve been rolling,” rookie linebacker Darius Leonard said. “We just want to keep it going. We want to keep everything rolling.” Leonard and his teammates face their biggest challenge yet in Saturday’s divisional-round game at Kansas City. But the timing couldn’t be better for a young, suddenly sturdy defense that still has plenty to prove.Over the past six weeks, the Colts have given up 12.0 points per game, posted their first shutout in four years and ascended to No. 11 in the rankings. But many wonder whether the defense can hold up against the league’s highest-scoring team.So far, Indy (11-6) has passed every test. The defense has played a vital role in two five-game winning streaks. Indy is one of two teams that have not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season and have had at least one turnover in 16 of 17 games.Outsiders have noticed the turnaround by a unit once regarded as a weak link.“I think the players have bought in and they play hard,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “They’re accurate with their assignments.”Reid isn’t alone.Leonard, the league’s leading tackler, was named first-team All-Pro last week, and first-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus interviewed Sunday for the Cleveland Browns’ head coaching job. Though he wasn’t hired, the dramatic ascension could help Eberflus stay on the coaching radar.What’s changed? Not much personnel-wise from opening day.Defensive tackle Al Woods and linebacker Skai Moore both wound up on injured reserve. Margus Hunt moved from defensive end to defensive tackle and Pierre Desir claimed one of the starting cornerback spots. Otherwise, the lineup remained as consistent as Eberflus’ message.“When you keep doing the same things over and over again and you get good at the fundamentals of the game, then you can start adding a little bit to your package because the guys understand the basics,” Eberflus said.“You can never move on or never forget the basics of what your system is about. That to me is the hustle Nate Hairston Color Rush Jersey , the intensity, taking the ball away and being smart players.”Eberflus, initially hired by Josh McDaniels and retained by Frank Reich after McDaniels backed out of the job, scrapped the 3-4 defensive front from previous coaching staff and installed the Tampa-2 preferred by general manager Chris Ballard.Reich was on board, too, remembering how the system helped the Colts win a Super Bowl during his first stint with the team.The scheme relies largely on speed and trust and was a perfect fit for a team trying to rebuild. Only three full-time starters returned in the same spot this season while a fourth, Jabaal Sheard, moved from outside linebacker to defensive end, but the simplicity shortened the learning curve for everyone, including the youngsters.And after six games, things started to mesh. Leonard became the breakout star, the pass rush became more consistent and the run defense tightened up.“We go into this game knowing that we can beat the best,” Leonard said. “Once you go in as an underdog, there’s a lot more chips on your shoulder. It makes you want to play harder. It makes you want to win more.”NOTES: Four-time Pro Bowl receiver T.Y. Hilton (ankle) is one of five players who did not practice Wednesday. The others are defensive tackle Denico Autry (shoulder), receiver Ryan Grant (toe), safety Malik Hooker (hip/foot) and defensive end Tyquan Lewis (knee). Hilton expects to play. … Tight end Eric Ebron (hip), receiver Dontrelle Inman (shoulder/finger) and Sheard (knee) were limited in practice.