Colts at Pats pre-game discussion, preview, keys & analysis

[jmt57]

Patriots vs. Colts: Five Questions With Bob Kravitz Of The Indianapolis Star ats Confidential

On defense the major strength of this unit still has to be Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis up front. Would you consider the secondary the weak link of this unit or has this group become a strength?

The Colts’ defensive weaknesses seem to change week to week, usually depending on injuries. In Philly, the secondary struggled without Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey. Other games, the D-line has gotten pushed around. Right now, I’d worry about the linebacking, especially if Gary Brackett and Clint Session can’t go. They would be replaced by rookies. The bottom line on Indy is, if you can run on them, you can win. It’s worked for Houston, Jacksonville and Philly and almost worked for Washington. Same old, same old.

Winning Back The Domination Of Manning | Pats Fans | Bob George

Things seem to be turning a corner for the Patriots nowadays. Devin McCourty is emerging as a shutdown corner like Law was. Patrick Chung is making everyone remember when Wilson was at his physical best. If only Brandon Meriweather will bring his skills from the neck up to match his great ability from the neck down (better coverage and tackling angles, understanding offenses better, more maturity), and if Kyle Arrington is more than just a stopgap until someone better comes back or comes along, the Patriots have a more than decent chance to win on Sunday.

But the Patriots have to do it the old way. Play the receivers tight and be physical, and don't try and blitz Manning. You won't outsmart Manning, but you can goad him into a pick or two if you play his receivers correctly. You don't have to deal with Marvin Harrison (retired in 2008) or Clark or Gonzalez and probably not Collie. Jacob Tamme has played well, but most any Colt does with Manning at the controls.

Pre-Game Thoughts: Colts at Patriots: Derek's Patriots Blog

Take away Reggie Wayne
Run the ball
Get in Peyton Manning's face
Prepare for Mathis and Freeney
Don’t take your foot off the gas

Prepare for Mathis and Freeney – Maybe the ultimate factor of the entire game. Or should I say two factors? Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney have been forcing havoc on opposing quarterbacks for years now. Containing these two elite edge rushers will be critical if the Patriots want to have success on Sunday. Matt Light and Sebastian Vollmer will have their hands full and if they cannot get the job done, Tom Brady’s jersey may not be as clean as it was last Sunday.

My Five Keys To Victory For The Patriots Against The Colts ats Confidential

The Patriots need to play from ahead early in this game
Light and Vollmer need to have exceptional games of protecting the quarterback
The Patriots tight ends need to take advantage of the middle of the Colts defense
The Patriots need to contain Jacob Tamme
The Patriots need to play the “bend don’t break defense” to perfection against Manning

Manning should be able to move his offense down the field against the Patriots defense between the 20 yard lines. The Patriots defense needs to tighten in the redzone and force Adam Vinatieri on the field. If the defense can accomplish this goal, the Patriots could be on their way to a victory.

 

[FortressX]

I am hoping Woodhead breaks one for a 70 or 80 YD TD today.
Seems to me besides the Colts general run stopping problems they always have a tough time with smaller, quicker RBs.
I am hoping that Tom does some hard counts today to slow down Freeney & Mathis.

 

[Patspsycho]

I am hoping Woodhead breaks one for a 70 or 80 YD TD today.
Seems to me besides the Colts general run stopping problems they always have a tough time with smaller, quicker RBs.
I am hoping that Tom does some hard counts today to slow down Freeney & Mathis.

What I see Pats doing are putting Crumpler and Gronk on both sides of the OL so the line is longer and both Freeney and Mathis are going to have to split out further to avoid the double-team, and this will give Brady more time.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Woodhead start today and be a part of the usual increased number of draw plays that we do against the Colts.

The way to beat Manning these days is to have a good sense of when and where to sit on his routes, and our D doesn't really have the experience or recognition to do that. We will probably stay in a sub package all day long to beat the no-huddle that Manning likes to run to limit the substitutes you can make.

 

[Kontradiction]

I hope we come right out and punch them in the mouth right off the bat. I want to see an old-school beat down.

 

[DaBruinz]

Aside from my prediction of a beat down (that didn't bode well with you guys), I think that Hernandez gets back into this game. He was quiet last game and I just can't see him getting shutdown 2 weeks in a row. and also Tate I think will have a big game. The key to winning this game is to play smart and not allow Peyton to take advantage of turnovers. The Defense has looked great and with Chung back I think that they will suprise everyone again and have a great game vs the Colts Offense.

The Steelers didn't "shut down" Hernandez. The game plan didn't call for Hernandez to be used because he's a below average blocker.

That being said, I would prefer to see the Pats roll out the exact same offense as last week because I don't believe that the Colts have the players on the D-Line or in their LB corp to deal with Smashmouth football.

 

[DaBruinz]

If the Colts have Wayne, Garcon, White, and Collie playing, then their passing game is going to be the normal Colts passing game.. And there will be a lot of pressure on McCourty and the rest of the DBs..

Without Addai, though, the Colts will be very limited in their use of the swing pass. Tamme, however, does make up for some of the loss of Clark.

I am going to say that this will be no cakewalk..

 

[PatsFanSince74]

The weather forecast is for a clear afternoon. But, it's going to be on the chilly side with a little breeze and with temps around freezing and increasing moisture in the air as the front bearing tomorrow's showers moves in. It should feel cold to Peyton and, while it's not as good as snow and sleet, that is usually good news for the Pats.

 

[DaBruinz]

The weather forecast is for a clear afternoon. But, it's going to be on the chilly side with a little breeze and with temps around freezing and increasing moisture in the air as the front bearing tomorrow's showers moves in. It should feel cold to Peyton and, while it's not as good as snow and sleet, that is usually good news for the Pats.

That is good news, though I would have preferred snow..

I hope that the Fans get LOUD.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

The weather forecast is for a clear afternoon. But, it's going to be on the chilly side with a little breeze and with temps around freezing and increasing moisture in the air as the front bearing tomorrow's showers moves in. It should feel cold to Peyton and, while it's not as good as snow and sleet, that is usually good news for the Pats.

There are a lot of rookies on the team playing this week that will be playing in cold weather as well,we don't know how some of the rookies,like the players drafted from the south will play either.

 

[Patspsycho]

There are a lot of rookies on the team playing this week that will be playing in cold weather as well,we don't know how some of the rookies,like the players drafted from the south will play either.

The cold has far more effect on the offense than defense- two key rooks we have on offense, Gronk and Hernandez are both from the Northeast originally (New York and Connecticut), so we're not going to have a problem there.

 

[cloud34]

The cold has far more effect on the offense than defense- two key rooks we have on offense, Gronk and Hernandez are both from the Northeast originally (New York and Connecticut), so we're not going to have a problem there.

Pretty simple today. Keep Brady standing. If Freeney and Mathis become a major factor, it's going to be a long day....run the ball, play action, and take those DE's out of the game.

 

[Ron Sellers]

There are a lot of rookies on the team playing this week that will be playing in cold weather as well,we don't know how some of the rookies,like the players drafted from the south will play either.

I think if the weather effects players it is due more to a sudden change than what they grew up with; think Miami playing in Foxborough or Buffalo in week 17. So players on the Pats have been getting acclimated to the cold gradually throughout the season. I believe Indy has an outdoor practice facility so their players should be somewhat prepared for the weather as well, though not quite as much as the Pats because the Colts play half their games indoors.

To me more than anything else it's simply getting the Colts outdoors and away from their dome where it is loud when they are on defense and quiet when they are on offense. Hopefully the crowd as a whole steps up and stays loud every single time the Colts get close to the line of scrimmage.

 

[Uncle Rico]

Pretty simple today. Keep Brady standing. If Freeney and Mathis become a major factor, it's going to be a long day....run the ball, play action, and take those DE's out of the game.

Woodhead is our secret weapon here. He showed last week that he can take on all comers. He has the speed/quickness to keep up with these guys and the height to get under them and knock them off balance just enough. He also makes for a nice little outlet when he's not blocking.

 

[Metaphors]

From another thread but seems more appropriate here...

1) Win Special Teams

When the offenses and defenses are relatively equal, the easiest way to gain an advantage is to decisively win special teams. With the Colts banged up at linebacker and safety (2 key ST positions), added to the fact that they aren't great at ST anyway...this is the week for Tate, Edelman, White, Slater, Chung, etc. to shine.

2) Be Physical

The last thing Collie (concussion), Wayne (knee), White (shoulder) and Garcon (psyche) want to see is a DB or LB bearing down on them with hostile intent. If Tamme or Brown get roughed up, there aren't viable replacements behind them. The Colts are also so thin at LB and S that Dungy may have to suit up at some point. Don't let this game turn into a 7-on-7 flag football game. Make sure their team colors are black-n-blue instead of blue-n-white.

3) Don't Forget about the Checkdown

This would be super important if Addai was active, but still can't let Brown kill the Pats D with a thousand paper cuts. It gives Manning security and momentum, wears out the defense and keeps Brady off the field. If the Colts want to throw underneath, eliminate the YAC (and see point #2 above).

4) No Cheap Plays

The Colts don't play as the underdog very often, so watch out for surprise plays that they typically don't run. Fake punts, surprise on-side kicks, etc. Be ready for anything since this game is more important to the Colts than they are letting on. 6-4 with SD, DAL and TEN(x2) coming up and the season could fall apart real fast. Lose 2 of those 4 games and the Colts may be looking at tie-breakers. Lose 3 of those 4 and Manning will have plenty of time to film commercials in January. This game is huge for the Colts and I expect them to play accordingly.

5) Be Intense, but be Smart

Leave it all out on the field. Go for it on 4th down. Forget the FGs and go for the end zone. But....avoid the mental mistakes that kill drives and destroy momentum. False starts, late hits, illegal formations...these are due to lack of focus and just can't happen in this game. I don't think the Colts stop the Pats very often if they have to get only 10 yards in 3 (or 4) plays. Make it 15 or 20 yards and everything changes (including how effective Freeney and Mathis become). I don't think the Colts score a ton of points if they have to earn every yard. Give them an extra 15 yards or a cheap 1st down and points are sure to result.

 

[SVN]

Woodhead is our secret weapon here. He showed last week that he can take on all comers. He has the speed/quickness to keep up with these guys and the height to get under them and knock them off balance just enough. He also makes for a nice little outlet when he's not blocking.

i dont know if he is a good matchup vs a fast and smal defense..

 

[Patspsycho]

i dont know if he is a good matchup vs a fast and smal defense..

They will use him for the quick draw up the middle.. the way Faulk used to do it.

Woodhead has the jive and juking you need to avoid the overpursuit.

 

[Kid~Brady]

Woodhead is our secret weapon here. He showed last week that he can take on all comers. He has the speed/quickness to keep up with these guys and the height to get under them and knock them off balance just enough. He also makes for a nice little outlet when he's not blocking.

exactamondo! my same thoughts, since Colts are weakest against the run, he could be a nightmare for the defense. I see him in alot of 3rd down conversions today and maybe a score.

 

[SVN]

All NFLN guys think manning has the advantage today because he is going against the worst pass defense the patriots have had under BB and faulk says (tell me when we have heard this before) "if manning can solve and throw against this secondary ,i dont know who can against then"

 

[102 Pat]

All NFLN guys think manning has the advantage today because he is going against the worst pass defense the patriots have had under BB and faulk says (tell me when we have heard this before) "if manning can solve and throw against this secondary ,i dont know who can against then"

I can't believe he was actually gave the Pats a compliment earlier in the show. He talked about how the Pats manhandled the Rams receivers in SB36. Who's the more blatant Pats hater, him or Costas?

 

[gregz0r]

Any word on Tate yet? Is he playing today?