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INDIANAPOLIS 鈥?Darius Leonard and Quenton Nelson made a quick impression on their veteran teammates.The first time the Indianapolis Colts wore pads at training camp Womens Matt Slauson 2019 Jersey , longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo watched Nelson, the new left guard, stop defensive linemen cold on successive plays. Andrew Luck got a glimpse of Leonard’s skills when the new linebacker leapt in the air, twisted his body and picked off his pass.The veterans knew instantly this rookie class would be different.On Friday, Leonard and Nelson were rewarded for their remarkable debut seasons by becoming the second set of rookie teammates to be voted to The Associated Press All-Pro team. Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus were the other players to achieve first-team status in 1965, and both went on to have Hall of Fame careers with the Bears.“In both cases they bring a lot of juice into the meeting room, into the weight room. They have infectious leadership qualities,” first-year coach Frank Reich said. “Their love for the game, their love to compete at the highest level, I just think is very infectious, and you love their confidence to be able to just let that loose.”It happened聽faster than expected.While analysts generally regarded Nelson as a star down the road when the Colts took him No. 6 overall in April’s draft, the 6-foot-5, 330-pound guard was immediately penciled into the starting lineup and started showing flashes of what he could do. When the pads went on, Nelson turned up the intensity and became a smash hit.His nasty attitude set the tone for the Colts’ offensive line, and he teamed with Castonzo and center Ryan Kelly Cheap Matt Slauson Youth Jersey , Indy’s first-round picks in 2011 and 2016, to change the team’s reputation. As a result, Indianapolis (10-6) allowed a league-low 18 sacks this season after giving up a league-high 56 in 2017. Marlon Mack rushed for 100 yards four times 鈥?the most by a Colts running back in 11 years 鈥?and the Colts reached the playoffs for the first time since 2014.Now the honors are piling up, too.Nelson became the first Colts offensive lineman chosen to the Pro Bowl since Jeff Saturday in 2010, Indy’s first rookie Pro Bowler since Marshall Faulk in 1994, and the first guard to make it since Ron Solt in 1987. Now he’s the first Colts All-Pro lineman since Saturday in 2007.Castonzo knew it was possible from the start.“The first morning (of practice) at camp, he went in and absolutely stoned somebody, just locked him down. I don’t even know who it was,” Castonzo told the AP. “Then he did it again on the next play and you knew it wasn’t a fluke.”Leonard faced a more daunting challenge after starring at South Carolina State, an FCS school.General manager Chris Ballard became a fan after watching Leonard make 19 tackles against eventual national champion Clemson in 2016. He didn’t wait long to take Leonard, selecting him with the first of four second-round picks, No. 36 overall.Leonard’s transition was delayed, too. He worked out at the combine despite a quadriceps injury and was held out of offseason workouts when he tweaked the muscle. Naturally, Leonard felt like he was behind when he arrived at training camp. But he turned heads at camp with his interception 鈥?and never stopped.He wound up setting a franchise record with a league-leading 163 tackles and had seven sacks, six forced fumbles and two interceptions despite missing one game with a knee injury. He’s the first Indianapolis linebacker to be voted All-Pro since Robert Mathis won the league’s sacks title in 2013.How did he make the transition so smoothly?“You feel behind Indianapolis Colts Rigoberto Sanchez Jersey , but you know that’s when I got with coach (Matt) Eberflus and coach (Dave) Borgonzi every morning,” Leonard said. “We were doing everything, just spent more time going over everything in the morning (before practice).”It worked.Ballard issued a statement in which he took no credit for hitting the jackpot with his first two draft picks, though he certainly understands the magnitude of the feat after spending his first 12 NFL seasons in the Bears’ scouting department.“We are thrilled for Quenton and Darius and they are both deserving of All-Pro recognition,” he said. “Both will also be the first to credit their teammates for the honor. That’s a testament to the unique culture that has been developed in our building.”100View Gallery Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta INDIANAPOLIS 鈥?Jason Garrett and Frank Reich understand the high stakes of Sunday’s game.If Dallas wins, it clinches the NFC East. If Indianapolis wins, it stays in the hunt for the AFC’s final playoff spot and possibly even a division crown.The two coaches and their players will get one more precious late-season chance to see how they stack up against another postseason contender.“Most people call this the dash for cash,” Colts tight end Eric Ebron said. “So you just try to win.”Few teams have done more winning lately than the Colts (7-6) and Cowboys (8-5).Rather than folding after starting 1-5, Andrew Luck and Co. turned things around with six wins in seven games and tying Baltimore, Miami and Tennessee for the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff chase.Luck’s comeback has happened during perhaps the best season of his career. He has聽34 touchdown passes — second in the league and six short of his career high — and a career-best completion rate of 67.7 percent. He is 241 yards away from the fourth 4,000-yard season of his career.This time, Luck also is working with an improved defense that has allowed 17.1 points per game over the past seven weeks and ranks among the league’s top third in sacks and negative plays. The combination has upped the ante for Indy’s opponents.“They attack you a lot of different ways,” Garrett said. “It’s aggressive, it’s attacking and it’s a balanced offense. You have to be ready for a lot of different things.”Dallas also made a dramatic midseason turn. After starting 3-5, the Cowboys made a deal for receiver Amari Cooper and everything suddenly changed.Running back Ezekiel Elliott has charged back into the NFL rushing lead and quarterback Dak Prescott started making more potent plays.聽Dallas’ defense has climbed to No. 4 in yards allowed.People around town believe the Cowboys could win their first divisional-round game since the 1995 playoffs 鈥?if they make it.“It will be a great challenge. It’s going to take every person over there Womens Rigoberto Sanchez 2019 Jersey , but I think defenses like that challenge,” Reich said when asked about slowing down Elliott. “I know our defense will like that challenge. It’s not going to be easy, they are going to get some runs. If Zeke has 95 yards, that might be considered a win.”TACKLING STARSWhile much of the focus this weekend will be on high-profile offensive stars such as Luck and Prescott, rookie linebackers Darius Leonard and Leighton Vander Esch will play big roles, too.The league’s official stats show Leonard leading the league with 135 tackles despite missing one game with an injury. Vander Esch has played well, too. The Cowboys credit him with 136 tackles, tied for the franchise’s rookie record, while league stats show him with 108 鈥?tied for No. 6 overall and second among rookies to Leonard.LINE DANCEWhile Colts starting center Ryan Kelly could return after missing three straight games with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, Cowboys right guard Zack Martin will miss a game for the first time in his career in what would’ve been his first trip to his hometown.Martin, a four-time Pro Bowler and 2014 All-Pro, sprained the MCL in his left knee during the preseason and left both games against defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia after aggravating the injury. He returned to the first Philadelphia game, but didn’t come back in last week’s victory.Kelly, meanwhile, was limited in practice Wednesday. He said he hopes to play through the pain with a brace. Before he was injured Cheap Rigoberto Sanchez Youth Jersey , the Colts allowed one sack in six games. Indy has given up six sacks in the three games he missed.REJOINING THE YOUNGSTERS?Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee practiced this week for the first time since leaving a game Nov. 5 against Tennessee with his second hamstring injury this season.He could rejoin the linebacker rotation Sunday. If he does, the focus will be on how it works.Vander Esch and Lee play the same position and 23-year-old Jaylon Smith, a former Notre Dame star, also played well this season. The two youngsters have embraced playing big roles while Lee, a 2014 All-Pro choice, was on the mend.FANCY FEETEight Colts players will wear special cleats this weekend to promote various charities.Luck will wear shoes bearing Indianapolis’ renowned Riley Hospital for Children, which he has worked with since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2012.Three players 鈥?Leonard, linebacker Anthony Walker and safety Mathias Farley 鈥?are using their cleats to draw attention to the Edwin Jackson 53 Foundation. Jackson, a Colts linebacker, was killed in a traffic accident in February.100View Gallery Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta