INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard

went virtually all in on defense in this year’s draft.He hopes the payoff is worth it.After watching the Colts improve from No. 30 in total defense in 2018 to No. 11 last season https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Marshall-Faulk-Jersey , Ballard used seven of his first eight picks adding assets for second-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.“I guess now you understand what the plan was. Speed, competition on defense, plain and simple,” Ballard said. “We wanted to get athletic, fast players who fit our mold, which I think we accomplished.”Ballard did what he could to ensure the progression continues.The Colts haven’t produced back-to-back top-20 finishes in total defense since 2013 and 2014 and haven’t posted a top-10 ranking since 2004 when they were No. 4.Now, just months after Andrew Luck led the Colts back to the playoffs and was the overwhelming choice as the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year, Ballard invested heavily on the other side of the ball.“I feel a little defensive today,” team owner Jim Irsay joked as he entered the Colts’ media room. “We really thought those four picks we had on Friday were really, really game-changers for us to make us a better football team.”He didn’t just dip his toe into a deep pool of talented defenders — he dove in head first looking for players who could primarily pressure quarterbacks or hold up in pass coverage.Indy needed to get better in both areas, and Ballard did everything in his power to make it happen. Three times, he swapped picks. He also traded veteran defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway to Philadelphia for an extra seventh-round choice, No. 246 overall.Ballard also took some calculated risks by selecting Ben Banogu, who played primarily defensive end at TCU. The Colts will try to convert him into a multi-positional linebacker. Indy also plans on using Southern California safety Marvin Tell III at cornerback.But if those experiments fail, Ballard figures the fallback options aren’t much of a gamble.“When I first took the job Eric Ebron Jersey , I think I told you all we know we’re getting it right when we’re cutting guys and they’re going to play for other teams,” Ballard said. “When we get our roster to 65 and 54 to 65 is popping up in other places, I know we’re getting it right. We’re not there yet, but we’re a lot closer.”WHO THEY GOTThe defensive run began with cornerback Rock Ya-Sin early in the second round and didn’t stop until late in the final round of the draft Saturday. Along the way, the Colts selected three linebackers — Banogu, Bobby Okereke of Stanford, and E.J. Speed of Tarleton State — two safeties — Khari Willis of Michigan State and Tell — and defensive end Gerri Green of Mississippi State. The Colts took speedy receiver Parris Campbell late with their second-round pick and closed the draft by using seventh-round selections on tackle Jackson Barton of Utah and center Javon Patterson of Mississippi.SURPRISE MOVEColts fans were disappointed when Ballard sent the No. 26 overall pick to Washington for two second-rounders. But the selection of Speed, who played at the Division II level, created the most intrigue. Speed was not a familiar name to most fans because he was not invited to the NFL scouting combine, didn’t play in any college all-star games and said he turned down chances to play at more Big 12 schools so he could be near his adopted brother, who was battling cancer.HOW THEY DIDBallard prefers substance to splash — and this was another draft that reflected his philosophy. Indy thinks Ya-Sin can be a lockdown cornerback, and Ballard filled his most glaring hole on the depth chart by choosing all those linebackers. He also found some depth for the offensive line and, perhaps most important, gave coach Frank Reich a dangerous deep threat who can create mismatches in multiple spots on the offense.WHAT’S NEXT?This weekend is only the start for Indianapolis, and Ballard knows it. Over the past two seasons Matt Slauson Color Rush Jersey , he’s plucked key contributors off the waiver wire (starting cornerback Pierre Desir and right guard Mark Glowinski), from other teams’ practice squads (center-guard Evan Boehm), and even off the street (safety Mike Mitchell). Plus, the Colts have had at least one undrafted rookie make the roster out of training camp for 20 consecutive seasons — the longest active streak in the league. The first component came Saturday when Ballard announced Indy would pick up the fifth-year option on starting center Ryan Kelly. So expect Ballard to stay busy between now and the Sept. 8 season opener at the Los Angeles Chargers. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Luck followed the perfect plan Sunday.He threw three more touchdown passes again, avoided getting sacked again and helped Adam Vinatieri achieve another record-breaking moment by leading the Colts to their fourth straight win.Luck and T.Y. Hilton hooked up twice for scores, Marlon Mack and Jordan Wilkins each ran for one touchdown and the Colts’ defense stymied Tennessee in a 38-10 drubbing that gave Luck a 10-0 record against the Titans.Article continues below ...“Andrew was just unbelievable,” coach Frank Reich said after his quarterback improved to 10-0 in the series. “I mean every throw was with pinpoint accuracy.”His timing was spot on, too.With some of the franchise’s greatest players in attendance, Luck went 23 of 29 for 297 yards and finished with a rating of 143.8. He tied Dan Marino for the third-longest streak of consecutive games with three or more TD passes (seven) in league history. Only Tom Brady (10) and Peyton Manning (eight) remain ahead of Luck on the list.Hilton caught nine passes for 155 yards in front of Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison, the top two receivers in each of the Colts’ most prominent receiving categories.And the victory, the 210th regular-season win of Vinatieri’s career, allowed the 45-year-old to break George Blanda’s record as Indy (5-5) moved squarely back into the playoff hunt.For the Titans (5-5), it was all too familiar.They’ve lost to Luck when he never gave them a chance, when he rallied the Colts late, when he was pulled early and even when he was hurt. This loss might have been the most frustrating yet.After defensive coordinator Dean Pees was taken to a nearby hospital when medical workers took him out of the press box in a wheelchair during the first quarter https://www.coltsfanshop.com/Anthony-Walker-Jersey , first-year coach Mike Vrabel took over play-calling duties and Luck skewered the league’s top-ranked defense.Losing starting quarterback Marcus Mariota with an injured right elbow in the final minute of the first half certainly didn’t help.Vrabel provided no postgame update on Mariota but said Pees would be kept overnight for further tests. The 69-year-old Pees retired briefly after last season, and Luck and Reich both said they hoped Pees would be all right.Tennessee, meanwhile, has some soul-searching to do.“They were ready to go. They played much better than we did. They coached much better than we did,” Vrabel said. “We have to drop this and lose it after we make the corrections, and get going.”Luck made it look easy.After Mack’s 1-yard run and Vinatieri’s 22-yard field goal gave Indy an early 10-0 lead, Luck connected with Hilton on a 68-yard TD pass. Wilkins’ 18-yard scoring run made it 24-0.All the Titans could muster was a 42-yard field on the final play of the half — after Mariota left and only after the Colts drew an unnecessary roughness penalty.Indy put it away by winning a replay challenge that turned a Hilton’s 11-yard catch into a 14-yard TD and a 7-yard scoring pass from Luck to Dontrelle Inman in the fourth quarter.“I cannot speak to the previous years,” Luck said of his mastery over Tennessee. “I’m just happy we’re 1-0 this year against Tennessee and we’ll face them again, obviously, when that time comes.”WAYNE’S WORLDWayne became the 15th member of the Colts’ Ring of Honor on Sunday during a halftime ceremony where he was surrounded by former teammates including Manning, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James, and NFL Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian, who drafted Wayne in 2001.He played in a franchise-record 211 games and caught 1,070 passes for 14,345 yards and 82 TDs in 14 seasons — all in Indy.“This (blue) jacket looks pretty damn good on me https://www.coltsfanshop.com , thank you,” Wayne said before jogging to the end zone to thank the fans — as he did for years just before kickoff.STAT PACKTitans: Mariota was 10 of 13 with 85 yards and one interception before leaving. Blaine Gabbert went 11 of 16 with 118 yards, one TD and one interception after replacing Mariota. … Tennessee allowed five sacks. … The Titans gave up a season-high point total.Colts: Luck was not sacked for the fifth consecutive game, breaking a tie for the fifth-longest streak in the league since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Luck has not been sacked in 214 consecutive dropbacks. … Starting center Ryan Kelly left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury and did not return. He said his knee will be examined Monday.THEY SAID ITTitans: “I was able to get the headset switched over, and everybody on the staff, just like they do with Dean, was able to help out,” Vrabel said.Colts: “I guess I knew they kept that stat, but I didn’t know I was close,” Vinatieri said of passing Blanda.UP NEXTTitans: Vrabel returns to Houston next Monday.Colts: Welcome former division foe Miami to Indianapolis next Sunday.