Back in the 2000s and 2010s the Pats – Colts rivalry was one of the NFL’s best. Whether it was Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning or Brady versus Andrew Luck. More often than not this was going to be a playoff matchup at the end of the year, and on the prime-time docket if it was the regular season.
Unfortunately, those days are over. The Colts have been changing quarterbacks as much as they change shirts. With six different quarterbacks taking starts since the retirement of Andrew Luck in 2019. They’ve been in a purgatory of sorts. Always a solid team, but never a great one. They’ll be playing the latest of their quarterback experiments in Sam Elhinger, after the injury and apparent benching of former NFL MVP Matt Ryan. He was acquired for a 3rd round pick from Atlanta, who are winning their division as we speak.
As for the Patriots? We know the deal of what’s happened since the days of Brady. I shouldn’t have to explain the Cam Newton year or Mac Jones’s rookie campaign which led to a playoff berth and immediate exit to the Buffalo Bills. A game that was featured last year was a 27-17 punch in the throat from these Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium. Running back Johnathan Taylor made his presence felt to the tune of 170 yards and two touchdowns, one at the end of the game to clinch it.
The Patriots created a lot of mistakes. Through blocked punts, interceptions, and missed tackles, they came up short. It would create a bit of a habit that would follow them for the rest of the year, being unable to finish games. Sitting at 4-4, they need to keep it going. Set it up, Bailey! Let’s get this preview underway.
Three Keys to The Game
#1: Dare Them to Pass
This might be a tired point, everybody’s seen it before. Young quarterbacks who are just getting their feet wet entering Gillette Stadium to square off against Football mastermind Bill Belichick, don’t tend to do well. With the exception of Tua Tagoivailoa in Miami and a one-off game against Geno Smith in 2013, these are the kinds of games the Patriots excel at. Sam Elhinger was a very good collegiate quarterback at Texas. He’s a power-scrambler with a strong arm, but he’s not really your typical NFL talent. Tim Tebow is a comparison I’ve been seeing a lot of.
Last week against the Commanders he was middling. He didn’t give the game away, but he didn’t do anything to win it either. The Colts didn’t try their lock, and they lost 17-16 because of their lack of faith in the signal caller. The Pats should take advantage. Take away their run game, and let’s see what Elhinger’s got. Give him a welcome to the NFL moment.
#2: Build On Last Week Offensively
The Pats were far from perfect last week on offense. They had a solid start. Created two long drives that ended in points, but the wheels fell off quickly after an untimely interception from Jones. Then a pick-six just before halftime that was called back due to a roughing call from John Franklin-Meyers of the Jets. It’s clear there are still a lot of growing pains, but that doesn’t take away the fact that the Patriots looked like they were moving in the right direction in the first half.
Jones was money on third down to Jakobi Meyers. Rhamondre Stevenson continues to show why he’s the best player on this football team. Let’s expand that to players like Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton, and others. Don’t get one-dimensional just because you can beat bad teams with it. The development of this young offensive unit is just as important as winning games.
#3: Protect Mac Jones
The offensive line needs to clean up their act as well. This is the unit for the rest of the year. Isaiah Wynn nor Trent Brown were traded, despite some rumblings leading up to the deadline this week. So, it’s up to Matt Patricia and Bill Belichick to find the right mold. You’re going to have a hard time winning if your quarterback is under pressure on 49 percent of his dropbacks. If the Pats is going to take significant strides forward, it’ll start with pass protection.
X-Factor: Deatrich Wise Jr.
One of the biggest keys to making a rookie quarterback make mistakes and give you some chances at turnovers is putting pressure on them. Deatrich Wise and Matthew Judon have been excellent at bringing the heat this season, combining for 13.5 sacks. Wise has quietly had a sixth-season jump and the Patriots’ captain is starting to get recognition. A big day for him will likely lead to a Pats victory. Get in that quarterback’s face, and make some plays in the run game, and New England should escape victorious and improve to a winning record for the first time this season.
Closing Thoughts/Predictions
Even if this rivalry isn’t what it once was, I think this game will still be entertaining. For whatever it’s worth. These are two teams who have to this point underperformed and are fighting for the last spot of a tight AFC playoff race. I think you’re going to see both teams trying their best to win. The Patriots won’t sleep on their old nemesis, and the Colts will be looking for a big upset to turn their season around.
That being said? The Pats are the better squad. Their talent is about even, but the coaching match is so uneven it’s laughable. Bill Belichick should make quick work of Frank Reich and his rookie quarterback. It’ll be a tight race in the beginning, but all it will take is a quick turnover for Indianapolis to see an implosion of the Colts. Give me the Pats in this one, as they enter the bye week on a high note.
Final Score: 28-9, Patriots win (Improve to 5-4)
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