NFL Week 5: Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots

by
Former Writers
October 4, 2018

Jack Newton via Flickr

Week 5 Preview: Colts vs. Patriots

After taking the Miami Dolphins off the undefeated list, the New England Patriots look to go above .500. The Indianapolis Colts will be working their way back up the ladder after falling to the Houston Texans last week in overtime.

Last Week

Last week, Tom Brady and the Patriots were one drive away from completely shutting out the Dolphins at home. If it wasn’t for a rare Brady interception, the Dolphins could have easily lost the game 38-0. The team as a whole looked utterly different than they did Week 3 against the Detroit Lions. The defense stepped it up, recovering a fumble and recording two sacks.

The Colts hosted the winless Houston Texans at home last week. The thriller went into overtime after quarterback Andrew Luck drove his team down the field in two minutes and 13 seconds and only nine plays. Scoring a touchdown and converting on the two-point attempt, it was enough to force an extra quarter, but ultimately it was not enough to pull out the win.

All-Time Matchups

In their last meeting in 2015, the Patriots slightly edged out the Colts 34-27. Tom Brady has now won seven consecutive games against Indianapolis. In the seven straight wins, the Patriots have won by an average margin of 19 points. The Colts haven’t won in New England since 2006. The last time they defeated the Patriots was Week 10 of the 2010 season in Indianapolis.

Luck doesn’t do so well in prime time games; overall he is 7-8 in his career and 1-5 in the last six. The quarterback has more losses and interceptions against the Patriots than any other team they have faced. All the stats are against Luck and his team, can he step it up? — With the stats stacked against Luck and the Colts, it is yet to be seen if they can climb over the hill.

Keys To The Win

New England Patriots

After a four week suspension, wide receiver Julian Edelman will make his return. Targeting him would be the smart thing to do. Since 2013, the Patriots are 46-9 with Edelman and 19-10 without him. New England has a reputation of starting the season slow, since 2016 they are 7-5 in the first four weeks. However, they tend to get the ball rolling once Week 5 hits.

The Patriots’ 12th ranked defense will need to focus on Luck and his ability to get the ball out quick. Their secondary should stay lined up with the receivers since Luck can hit narrow holes. Defensive end Geneo Grissom, defensive tackle Danny Shelton, DT Adam Butler, linebacker Elandon Roberts, and cornerback Eric Rowe are all questionable for the game.

If any of these players are ruled out before the game starts, the Patriots defense will need to move around their players and switch up their plan since a backup will be in their place.

Indianapolis Colts

Getting Brady to move outside of the pocket is a hard thing to do, his offensive line is one of the strongest in the league. However, the Colts have a strong chance of bringing home a second win of the season. The 19th ranked defense has had their struggles, but as long as they improve the pass rush, the defense can stop Brady’s electric arm and get past his linemen.

Luck and the 22nd ranked offense is their best bet at Gillette Stadium. Especially since Luck’s and Brady’s stats are almost identical so far this season. Indy will be without top receiver T.Y. Hilton, but no need to fret, Luck can do plenty with the receiver core he still has lined up on the field. Eric Ebron is good to go, which is great for Luck since he leads the Colts in receiving touchdowns.