You might recognize this Indianapolis Colts defense. They’re the ones over there with their backs against the wall.

We’re in familiar territory, doubting their skills, doubting their game plan, doubting their edge. The Colts don’t have Bob Sanders. What else is new? Now they’re without his backup, Melvin Bullitt.

Their statistics are poor, their participation in opponents’ highlights too frequent. Even big guns Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis have come up empty lately.

Enter the Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at noon today in Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Chiefs, former patsies turned into the last unbeaten team in the NFL, will come in pounding the ball with two quality running backs but with some other offensive tricks up their sleeves, courtesy of coordinator Charlie Weis.

The Colts’ (2-2) defense must answer the Chiefs’ game plan, the critics’ skepticism and perhaps their own doubts.

“We’ve just got to get everybody on the same page, communicating more effectively, lining up where we’re supposed to,” linebacker Gary Brackett said. “You don’t have to do any more than what your job calls for you to do. Do your job and the defense works fine.”

Colts safety Antoine Bethea will work alongside a new safety partner in Bullitt’s place. It’s likely to be former Chiefs player DaJuan Morgan, who says he has worked out the kinks and has a feel for the defense after playing in relief of Bullitt last week.

Bethea, the best and most experienced player in the secondary, said most of the Colts’ defensive mistakes have been near misses.

“It’s a thin line,” Bethea said. “It’s a mistake here, a mistake there, one guy out of place here, one guy out of place there. Once we get all that fine-tuned, we have the guys in the locker room to make plays.

“We’ve done it in the past with the style of ball we play,” Bethea continued. “We all run. We all hit. We all love the game. We just have to limit our mistakes and continue on down the road.”

Bethea is right in at least one respect: The Colts have won, and won regularly, with this style of defense. However, last week’s inability to slow the erratic Jacksonville Jaguars was disturbing and led to even Colts president Bill Polian criticizing the defense on the radio.

Cold hard facts: The Colts are 29th (out of 32) in rushing defense, 24th in total defense and 24th in scoring defense. Freeney and Mathis have had one sack between them the last two games.

Those aren’t Super Bowl numbers. They might not even be playoff-qualifying numbers.

Freeney said the emphasis on the run, and Colts’ opponents’ maximum pass protection, have contributed to the dwindling sacks and hurries the last two weeks.

“You want to put pressure on the quarterback, but what people have to realize, when you watch the film, is what they’re doing from a scheme standpoint to realize why there isn’t that much pressure,” Freeney said. “If you’re going after the quarterback with four guys and (they’re) blocking with seven, I don’t care who you have, it’s tough to get that pressure.”

Freeney said blitzing could tip the balance, but also opens up the secondary to get “gashed” on long passes. The Colts’ first line of defense against Kansas City, however, must be to stop the run, Freeney said.

Denver set the blueprint on passing the ball with Kyle Orton throwing for a career-best 476 yards. The Colts prevailed by their superior play in the red zone.

Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel isn’t as likely to air it out, especially if Jones and Charles are having any sort of impact on the ground.

The Colts can rely on their own offense, of course.

Still, if the Colts win this early must-win game, it would be more encouraging if the defense provided the edge.

It’s all in front of the Colts’ defense now, with their backs against the wall.