Patriots Enemy Profile: Indianapolis Colts

Coming out of the bye week, the New England Patriots remain atop the AFC East with a 9-4 record, riding a seven-game winning streak heading into an important game with the Colts.

“Important” would be an excellent way to describe this weekend’s matches in Indianapolis as New England looks to keep pace with the Chiefs. The Patriotes were impressive in their win over the Bills, throwing the ball just three times but dominating nonetheless.

Saturday night’s game is magnified with both Tennessee and Kansas City jockeying with the Patriots for the top seed in the conference. The Patriots historically always play their best football in December when contending. Last year notwithstanding. If this team wants to be special this time around, they will have to return to their winning ways in December. Mac Jones will get another shot inside a dome after a so-so performance against the Falcons back in October. Compared to the elements from two weeks ago and the fact the team is coming off the bye, expect Jones to elevate his game in the perfect conditions.

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Let’s get to know the Indianapolis Colts and what to expect come Saturday night

Like New England, the Colts are red hot coming off the bye week. With the new 17-game schedule, this past week marked the latest bye week in NFL history give both Bill Belichick and Colts head coach Frank Reich ample time to prepare. Reich, of course, is familiar with facing New England from his time in Philadelphia and a certain game from February of 2018.

For the Colts, the offense runs through the league’s leading rusher, Jonathan Taylor. Taylor has 16 rushing touchdowns this season and his speed and athleticism will test New England’s defensive front.

Quarterback Carson Wentz has done a good job of protecting the football in his first season with the Colts. Turnovers plagued his time in Philadelphia after Reich left following the Super Bowl season. Naturally, the Patriots will look to contain Taylor and force Wentz into making mistakes.

On the defensive side, the combination of Kwity Paye and DeForest Buckner cause significant problems in the run game. Made especially difficult will be the absence of Damien Harris for the Patriots. In addition, as a unit, the Colts have one of the better defensive lines in all of football. Grover Stewart is the anchor of that line and gives opposing offensive coordinators headaches with how much he gets to the quarterback. Linebacker Darius Leonard is another leader of this defense and will be a factor in a potential Colts win on Saturday Night.

Be sure to tune into the game Saturday at 8:15 PM on NFLN.