He figured out how to deploy it more effectively as an assistant coach.So with the Indianapolis Colts in an offensive funk Sunday Riley Ridley Jersey , the first-year coach changed gears. He cranked up the tempo, wore down Houston’s defense and watched the Colts rebound from a 5½-quarter scoring drought to earn a critical road victory.“We know it’s a weapon, we know it’s an effective weapon, especially with the quarterback we have,” Reich said, referring to Andrew Luck.“To know that we can pull that tool out, that weapon out and use it in the proper way when we need it. I just think it’s really the right way to do it.”Indy (7-6) desperately needed a switch against the Texans — after their playoff chances took a major hit the previous week when Luck endured the first shutout of his career.It looked as if the Texans (9-4), winners of nine straight, might do it again when they held the Colts scoreless on their first four possessions. But then Reich threw a change-up that got Luck and his teammates back in sync.They scored three times in the final 7½ minutes of the first half, matched the Texans’ early second-half score and never trailed again.The victory allowed Indy to move into a four-way tie with Baltimore, Miami and division rival Tennessee for the AFC’s sixth and final playoff spot and gave them some needed momentum heading into back-to-back home games against Dallas and the New York Giants.The Colts close out the regular season at Tennessee.And with Luck rolling, the possibility of ending a three-year postseason absence is a real possibility. Indy already has beaten the Titans and Dolphins Greedy Williams Jersey , potential tiebreakers, even though nobody around the Colts’ complex dare discuss anything other than this weekend’s showdown against the NFC East-leading Cowboys.“Looking forward to keeping that same mindset and attitude coming back home to Lucas Oil (Stadium) against another hot team in the Dallas Cowboys,” Reich said Monday. “So it will be a good test for us.”What exactly the Cowboys will see is anybody’s guess.Luck threw two more touchdown passes in Houston, giving him 34 — second in the league to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes (43). T.Y. Hilton caught nine passes for 199 yards, giving the Colts the deep threat they lacked in Jacksonville. Eric Ebron caught another TD pass, his 12th of the season and one more than Dallas Clark’s franchise single-season record for a tight end.But the lingering question is whether Reich intends to continue relying on the no-huddle offense that kept the Texans’ defense on its heels?“Believe me, I love the no-huddle, I have done the no-huddle for years as a player and as a coach. Even when I was here before with Peyton (Manning), we did it as well as anyone could do it,” Reich said.“We did a lot of really good things, but ultimately we just think that the best formula is to be multiple, to use all your personnel and to create some schematic advantages that you can do by huddling.”The Colts certainly have shown they can exploit mismatches.Luck has had more success than anyone in the league connecting with tight ends. Ebron is one of five guys to play the position for Indy this season and has produced a career-best season by finally living up to the billing of his first-round pedigree.Marlon Mack has Sione Takitaki Jersey , at times, given the Colts a solid ground game and Hilton remains a reliable threat in whatever he is asked to do.While the combination seems perfectly suited to cranking up the tempo as Sunday’s game demonstrated, Reich believes the Colts will be better off employing it at their discretion.“When you go no-huddle, T.Y. ends up at the same position all the time,” Reich said. “By not being exclusively no-huddle we can move guys around in positions. We can put T.Y. where we want to, we can switch personnel groups, we can put offensive linemen in at tight end to throw deep play-action shots that we put in, to have an extra offensive lineman in to do some stuff in the running game.” The Kansas City Chiefs placed the franchise tag on outside linebacker Dee Ford on Monday, making official a decision the team had been leaning toward throughout the offseason.Ford is coming off the best season of his career, piling up 13 sacks and forcing an NFL-leading seven fumbles. The Chiefs have expressed an interest in a long-term deal, though they are also open to trading him as they switch from a 3-4 to 4-3 base defense under new coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.In other words, it’s no sure thing Ford plays next season under the roughly $15.4 million tag.The franchise tag gives the Chiefs until July 15 to agree on a long-term contract Sheldrick Redwine Jersey , but they may need to free up some additional salary cap space to do so. That’s because they have other pressing needs in free agency, not to mention a bevy of stars due to hit free agency soon.They would like to extend defensive tackle Chris Jones and wide receiver Tyreek Hill before next offseason, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes is eligible for an extension next year.“Obviously, Dee is a player that has done so much for us, in particular last year,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said recently. “We have a special thing brewing here and I think everyone wants to keep this thing rolling.”For his part, Ford called it a “no brainer” to sign the franchise tender.The Chiefs have certainly invested plenty in Ford after selecting him in the first round of the 2014 draft out of Auburn. He went through some growing pains as he adapted to life in the NFL, and he has an injury history that is cause for concern — and that makes the franchise tag a good option.Ford remains a high-risk, high-reward kind of talent.“The one thing he can do, and we all know this, he is an explosive football player that makes a lot of plays,” said Spagnuolo Austin Seibert Jersey , who was hired after the Chiefs lost to the Patriots in the AFC title game to turn around one of the league’s worst defenses. “He’s had some production and if he is here with us, I’ll be excited to have him and be excited to work with him.”The Chiefs are also considering what to do with fellow outside linebacker Justin Houston, who had nine sacks in 12 games last season. The veteran leader carries a salary cap hit of $21.1 million next season, and the Chiefs could free up a significant amount of money by trading or releasing him.“I would say that he’s under contract for this year and next year,” Veach said at the NFL’s scouting combine this week. “Again, our plan is to play with him and we look forward to having him on our roster. There’s a lot of dialogue and I think everything is fluid for the next few weeks.”The problem is the Chiefs have little depth beyond Ford and Houston. Defensive end Breeland Speaks is a more natural fit in a 4-3 system, but he was only a bit player after the Chiefs selected him in the second round out of Ole Miss last year.That’s another reason why the franchise tag on Ford made sense.“I certainly think that we have a bunch of versatility along the line there. Justin and Dee, both of those guys can play in this scheme and do well,” Veach said. “We like the pieces that are in place and we’re anxious to get this offseason started.”
