midwestpatsfan

Over the last 2 weeks we have seen the Colts D dominate their opponents and they are the main reason they are playing in the AFC championship, but are they really as good as the stats show. I say no.
I really think that both the Chiefs and Ravens got overconfident that they could run it down the throat of the Colts all day and win. The Colts have decided to do anything and everything to shut that down. What the Chiefs and Ravens didnt do was have a successful passing game. The chiefs were dropping passes left and right and Trent Green is old and not the same after his blow to the head earlier in the season.
The Ravens gave that game away as well. turnovers in the redzone and then another inside the colts 20 will kill a team. Neither team tried to spread out the Colts and PASS first, Run second. I think the Patriots fell into that same trap earlier against the colts. They tried to run Dillon up the gut right off the bat and it blew up in their face. I see the Patriots using that 7 yard out to Gaffney and Caldwell to loosen up the Colts D and then start to run the ball.

That is just my extremely uneducated guess on the gameplan. What about your thoughts?

Bargod

My thoughts are that I can't imagine the Cots "D" able to keep up this performace. I don't buy it. They can mix it up. If they were to continue stopping the run it wouldn't be the first time the Pats used the pass to open up the run. And when you stsrt running on that "D" they could be in for a long day. That being said it could be argued that their defense is peaking at the right time. The one part that scares me is that I recall that recent history shows that Freeney seems to get a good rush on Brady. The Pats were able to solve the Jets rush and the Chargers as well. Let's hope they can keep it up.

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"All week, all they wanted to talk about was their defense, their receivers and their place in history. Well guess what? Their place in history is losing to the Patriots in the AFC Championship game and going home." - Ted Bruschi 1-27-02

upstater1

This whole game will be determined by what's running through McDaniels' mind this week.

Essentially, the Texans moved the ball on the Colts because Carr was taking the ball from under center, and play action faking it the whole game.

The Colts load up the box with 8, and people try to run on them.

If Brady is in the shotgun and spreading them out, then you take away your advantage against them. You allow them to see that you're not running. And if you do run a draw, then the point of attack is always the same (i.e. you know the RB is going to get the ball at the same spot each and every time).

I want to see Brady under center. I want to see him play action faking. I want screens.

Of course, my gameplan requires absolute great pass protection because on playaction fakes the QB's blind side is exposed.

Hopefully we can start talking about the Colts now and move past the Chargers game.

PrairiePat

I think next week's game is going to be a shootout. Indy has moved the ball pretty well on NE the last 2 times they've met, and they'll be on the carpet this time. We'll be a bit healthier on D than we were for those games, but I still think Indy is going to put some points on the board.

I think the Pats will also find success vs the Colts D. Indy won't be able to put 8 in the box against Brady, especially if the Pats go to spread formations. Is Sanders healthy? If so, the Pats really need a better plan against him than their previous game - he seemed to have the run/pass keys pretty well nailed. A few play-action passes aimed in his direction would seem to be in order. Freeney can be gameplanned with RBs/TEs assisting Light, and also with some inside runs that take advantage of him rushing up field on every snap.

The Colts D is definitely improved from earlier in the season, but they also had 2 perfect playoff matchups of 1-dimensional running teams which allowed them to really overplay the run. I don't think they'll be able to do that against Brady, and Brady doesn't often have 2 poor games in a row...

upstater1

sThe only thing is, if we go to the shotgun spread, there's no reason for the Colts to put 8 men in the box. That plays to their advantage, I beleieve, because they have a lot of speed at LB and DB. Heck, Cato June played DB at Michigan.

JoeinIndy

Bob Sanders is healthy.
He has really been a crucial element to the success of that defense.

He has 6 starts this season, 2 of which came from their last 2 playoff games. He's a force to be reckoned with but historically the Patriots have always been able to take key players out of the equation in the postseason.

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Patriots Fan in Colts Land

BelichickFan

Yep. And he's a Safety. Move the Safeties up and open up the medium passing game, baby.

RayClay

My thoughts exactly. The only player that could stop the run against us was Sanders.

Great player, but he can't be in two place at the same time.

I imagine a lot of film of that game and the Colts last two will be reviewed.

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AirForcePatFan

If they put 8 in the box, all they have to do is go 3 or 4 WR sets and spread them out... I say the Colts will probably go back to their Cover 2 scheme knowing they won't be able to pull off putting 8 in the box against the Pats and win...

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Linnea and The Crew


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scout

Brady can still stand back in the shotgun and run it with a flip to Faulk. BTW, wasn't that snap to Faulk a thing of beauty! Keep the game in the hands of Brady. He will beat the Indy defense. Hopefully, one of our receivers is going to step up big time.