Insider: Colts run D unit hasn't changed much but results need to

ANDERSON – Art Jones can't hide from the reality. But that does not mean he wishes to talk about it.

He knows the numbers. But he does not want to be reminded of them.

Don't bring up the subject of the Colts' run-defense failures against the New England Patriots last season and hope to engage the defensive tackle in a productive conversation.

That ain't happening.

"That was last year," said Jones, a monstrous 6-3 and 320 pounds. "It's a new year and I'm ready to hunt."

He'd better do just that.

Because the Colts are counting on it. Whereas the Colts doubled down on their already-prolific offense, going out and adding pieces this offseason like Andre Johnson, Frank Gore and Phillip Dorsett, Indianapolis was more judicious on defense.

Although defensive end Kendall Langford is a notable free-agent addition — and his strength is certainly stopping the run — he is really a replacement for the departed Cory Redding. Trent Cole, who the Colts hope will help beef up the pass rush, is another defensive signing of note.

But the Colts aren't primarily counting on their new pieces to prevent performances like those of Jonas Gray and LeGarrette Blount — two Patriots backs who rumbled through the Colts defense in the two meetings with New England last season.

Instead, the Colts are, in essence, simply raising the bar for their returning defensive players. It's not a sexy solution. And it remains to be seen whether it's a solution at all.

But that's the approach the Colts are taking. In this season in which they have aspirations of reaching the Super Bowl, they are putting much of their hopes for defensive improvement on the very same defenders who fell short last season.

Now, the heightened expectations must be followed by improved results.

"It goes for myself, the entire staff and every player here," Pagano said. "I think we all understand what's at stake and where we want to go and if we want to get back to that game and have a chance to compete and win (the AFC Championship Game) and give ourselves a chance to play for it all. Our goal and our vision hasn't changed.

"We all have to be better."

The reluctance to be more aggressive on defense in free agency was, perhaps, influenced by the idea that Jones will be a different player in 2015. His struggles with a severe ankle injury last season were well documented, but now he looks quick and nimble, ready to make an impact.

He exploded off the line of scrimmage on one play during Monday's practice, blowing up a run play immediately after back Boom Herron was handed the football.

It was the kind of play the Colts could have used on that January night in Foxborough, Mass. when the Colts defensive front seven was pushed around and run over.

"We have some guys who suffered this summer to get better, guys who want to get better, including myself," Jones said.

It's actually something of a compliment that the Colts are putting a lot of their hopes for an improved run defense on Jones.

"I definitely take pride in that," he said. "I'm excited to showcase what I can do."

But this cannot be a solo effort. That won't be enough. Hardly.

It will take improvement from nose tackle Josh Chapman and backup linemen Montori Hughes and Zach Kerr and impressive debuts from Langford and rookie Henry Anderson to get this done.

Chapman, for one, definitely needs to be more dynamic.

"That position is vital to our run defense," Pagano said. "Those guys have to be stout. They have to command double teams. They have to be able to knock them back and create a new line of scrimmage. Josh has shown flashes of that, but now it's consistency."

Langford, meanwhile, is embracing the challenge before him. The former Dolphins and Rams player said stopping the run was the major emphasis of his conversations with the Colts while they were courting him back in March.

"If you allow a team to do both things on you (run and pass), it's going to be hard to win," he said. "You have to make a team one-dimensional. If you can stop the run and make them throw the ball — with the offense that we have — if we stop some people and then we put some points up, teams are going to have to throw the ball."

But before that becomes a reality, the Colts must get more out of their front defenders. They must be stronger and stouter and more physical.

Put simply, they must be better than they were.

Follow Star reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.