Tonight the Colt OL handled a more Pass Rush potent Denver DL than the Patriots will present. With the Indy OL giving Luck good protection/time, I think it is fair to say he delivered pretty well (what should have been 27 points against Denver at Mile High is a good overall score). I was impressed with some of his difficult but successful third down throws to keep the chains going.
Luck is likely to have time to throw again. It just is what it is, the Patriots biggest weakness, IMHO, is a lack of even an average Pass Rush. Yet as long as we contain the Indy run game, which puts Luck into some unfavorable down/distance situations, I like our chances to get stops as well as keeping them out of the endzone most of the time.
If, on the other hand, our Rush D sucks again? The Raven type game will repeat itself with Brady and the offense needing to score 4 to 5 TDs again. Our D has to be a better Run D than what was shown against Baltimore. The QBs we will face simply cannot be given the advantage of significant rushing yard totals.
What was of notice about the Colts win tonight is how well they played Run D (and how well their base Pass Rush played). Where did the soft Run D go that we faced in November?? If this improved Run D is not a one game aberration, the Patriots' task is significantly more difficult (here comes another all out air attack!).
Given Manning's performance last night as well as most of the last month of games or so, I'm no longer sure Indy should have been the favored opponent to play us in the AFCCG. Denver looked so weak on offense, average on D, generally looked ripe for being dismissed, and a team that would have been dismissed in Foxboro.
Whatever one thinks of Manning, the guy has been an excellent QB for many years. But this game makes me believe either he is significantly injured or it's time to consider hanging it up. Either way a good team to face in Foxboro. ((IMHO the Indy game wasn't a choke by Manning, it felt more like the showing of a guy who just didn't have it at that needed playoff level)).