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Insider: Young Colts defense has 'come a long way,' rank 11th in NFL after run of success

Indianapolis Colts insiders Joel A. Erickson and Gregg Doyel talk about the Indianapolis Colts' 0-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. Jenna Watson, jenna.watson@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS — A sun-soaked day in Oakland seemed like the bottom for the Colts defense.

A young defense in the first year of a new scheme, a system the Indianapolis brass hadn’t had enough time to fully stock with talent specifically suited to Matt Eberflus’s 4-3, a defense that opened the season without a proven star.

Eberflus’ defense had surprised early, only to fall into a slump against the Texans, Patriots and Jets.