I have Indianapolis Colts +10 -125 pretty heavy..good luck everyone.
Ho hum. It?s just another Patriots-Colts matchup, right?
The Patriots visit Lucas Oil Stadium tonight for one of the most highly anticipated games of the Bill Belichick era, and that?s a remarkable thought given their historic moments and impassioned rivalry over the past 15 years.
Here are five things to watch tonight:
Pent-up heat causing explosion?
The Patriots opened as 61⁄2-point favorites as if Las Vegas was located on the dark side of the moon for the past nine months. The Pats have outscored the Colts, 189-73, since Andrew Luck took over at quarterback in 2012, and they haven?t won by fewer than three touchdowns over that span. And now, Tom Brady & Co. have got months of pent-up Deflategate-induced anger to blow out of their systems. The ?scorched earth? tour is a season-long voyage, but the Patriots would love to trounce Indianapolis along the way. Go figure, the long-awaited rematch might be unwatchable as early as the third quarter, and from there, will there be some faux outrage if the Patriots dare to run up the score? Of course there will.
Run it until they prove they can stop it
Just how much do the Patriots enjoy running the ball vs. the Colts? In their four meetings since 2012, the Patriots have run on 54.8 percent of their plays for 772 yards (5.0 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns. In the 55 games against everybody else in that span, the Pats have run on 40.2 percent of their plays for 6,350 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and 61 touchdowns. Obviously, the Patriots have opted for run-heavy game plans recently against the Colts, and the numbers show they?re a dramatically different offense in these games. LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis should be ready for a heavy workload.
More than a little bad Luck in play here
While Andrew Luck has been viewed as the heir apparent to the throne as the NFL?s top quarterback, Tom Brady?s performance level shows just how far Luck must go to join the elite ranks. Brady has completed 72.5 percent of his passes for 1,387 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions this year. Luck, meanwhile, has missed two games with a shoulder injury, and has just a 56.0 completion percentage, 753 yards, five TDs and seven picks. Since entering the league as the No. 1 pick in 2012, Luck is 34-17 in the regular season and 3-3 in the playoffs with two lopsided losses to Brady, who is 40-12 and 20-2 over that span.
An advanced lesson in secondary school?
Though Luck may be limited due to his shoulder, he is still the best quarterback the Pats have faced since Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1. This will be a good measuring stick for cornerback Malcolm Butler, who might be pinned on receiver T.Y. Hilton. When Butler was lined up on Steelers wideout Antonio Brown, he surrendered eight completions on nine targets for 124 yards and one touchdown. Since then, though, quarterbacks are just 4-of-10 for 115 for two touchdowns and one interception when targeting Butler. With Tarell Brown out with a foot injury, the secondary?s job will be a bit tougher.
Adding a little left-handed complement
Whether Marcus Cannon gets his first career start at left tackle in place of injured Nate Solder, or they choose to flip-flop Sebastian Vollmer to left tackle, where he made five starts as a rookie, the Pats better be prepared to provide help. They could slide the left guard over for support, or utilize the tight ends or running backs to help slow the outside pass rush of Robert Mathis or Kendall Langford. Cannon has allowed two sacks this season from his rotational reps at left tackle, but Brady wasn?t sacked against the Cowboys after Solder went down, so their adjustments worked.
Ho hum. It?s just another Patriots-Colts matchup, right?
The Patriots visit Lucas Oil Stadium tonight for one of the most highly anticipated games of the Bill Belichick era, and that?s a remarkable thought given their historic moments and impassioned rivalry over the past 15 years.
Here are five things to watch tonight:
Pent-up heat causing explosion?
The Patriots opened as 61⁄2-point favorites as if Las Vegas was located on the dark side of the moon for the past nine months. The Pats have outscored the Colts, 189-73, since Andrew Luck took over at quarterback in 2012, and they haven?t won by fewer than three touchdowns over that span. And now, Tom Brady & Co. have got months of pent-up Deflategate-induced anger to blow out of their systems. The ?scorched earth? tour is a season-long voyage, but the Patriots would love to trounce Indianapolis along the way. Go figure, the long-awaited rematch might be unwatchable as early as the third quarter, and from there, will there be some faux outrage if the Patriots dare to run up the score? Of course there will.
Run it until they prove they can stop it
Just how much do the Patriots enjoy running the ball vs. the Colts? In their four meetings since 2012, the Patriots have run on 54.8 percent of their plays for 772 yards (5.0 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns. In the 55 games against everybody else in that span, the Pats have run on 40.2 percent of their plays for 6,350 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and 61 touchdowns. Obviously, the Patriots have opted for run-heavy game plans recently against the Colts, and the numbers show they?re a dramatically different offense in these games. LeGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis should be ready for a heavy workload.
More than a little bad Luck in play here
While Andrew Luck has been viewed as the heir apparent to the throne as the NFL?s top quarterback, Tom Brady?s performance level shows just how far Luck must go to join the elite ranks. Brady has completed 72.5 percent of his passes for 1,387 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions this year. Luck, meanwhile, has missed two games with a shoulder injury, and has just a 56.0 completion percentage, 753 yards, five TDs and seven picks. Since entering the league as the No. 1 pick in 2012, Luck is 34-17 in the regular season and 3-3 in the playoffs with two lopsided losses to Brady, who is 40-12 and 20-2 over that span.
An advanced lesson in secondary school?
Though Luck may be limited due to his shoulder, he is still the best quarterback the Pats have faced since Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1. This will be a good measuring stick for cornerback Malcolm Butler, who might be pinned on receiver T.Y. Hilton. When Butler was lined up on Steelers wideout Antonio Brown, he surrendered eight completions on nine targets for 124 yards and one touchdown. Since then, though, quarterbacks are just 4-of-10 for 115 for two touchdowns and one interception when targeting Butler. With Tarell Brown out with a foot injury, the secondary?s job will be a bit tougher.
Adding a little left-handed complement
Whether Marcus Cannon gets his first career start at left tackle in place of injured Nate Solder, or they choose to flip-flop Sebastian Vollmer to left tackle, where he made five starts as a rookie, the Pats better be prepared to provide help. They could slide the left guard over for support, or utilize the tight ends or running backs to help slow the outside pass rush of Robert Mathis or Kendall Langford. Cannon has allowed two sacks this season from his rotational reps at left tackle, but Brady wasn?t sacked against the Cowboys after Solder went down, so their adjustments worked.
