Are Colts more formidable than Broncos?

[Brady_to_Moss]

The colts are inconsistent. They started slow and have been playing well on both sides of the ball. The Steelers put it to them a couple of weeks ago. But we know the Steelers are hot right now too.

The Colts are a very dangerous team, but the Broncos are better and more talented.

And the pats do struggle on the road vs tough teams...but can someone throw me the brady in a dome stat? Isn't it just stupid? Make me feel a bit better

Does anyone else agree if they lose this one it will be very tough to get #1 seed? I mean they could run the table after this game...but it will be very tough.

Buff and MIA will be playing for something at end of year as well..but with pats losing to MIA game 1..they will roll them IMO. Same with buff since at home

 

[Archeryaddict12]

Colts are tough. Definitely tougher to win there than beat denver here.

I don't believe it will be tougher. Brady in a dome; with gronk, against a shaky defense. This defense was created to slow down passing offenses with a top 3 secondary. It will be tough, but Denver was easily as tough a task as next Sunday's game

 

[Ochmed Jones]

The colts are the first real trap game of the season for us.

 

[Jackson 2]

I believe it will take multiple turnovers on our part to lose. With that said, I also believe the Colts in Indy present a formidable challenge.

 

[lurker1965]

Define "Formidable."

 

[JMC00]

The colts are the first real trap game of the season for us.

Ya I don't really think a 6-3 team, with a QB that is in the discussion for MVP and BB having almost two weeks to breakdown is a trap game.

Could they lose? Yep. But it won't because it was a trap.

 

[Boogs]

I'd have to check, but I don't think the colts run the ball well.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Luck's got a 26:9 TD:INT ratio (which is basically 3:1), is completing more than 63.5% of his passes, has a QB rating of over 100, is #1 in the NFL in passing yardage, #2 in TDs and #9 in yards/pass attempt. He's doing just fine, and the only thing he really has in common with Bledsoe is the ability to shrug off a hit.

He also, I believe, has his share of executing 4th quarter drives/comebacks (with that noted huge comeback in a playoff game)
Luck got a lot of adoration before he even threw a single NFL pass. This, IMHO, made some football fans most definitely not a fan of Luck. Otherwise I don't how one can look at Luck's 2.5 season performance and call it less than very solid.

 

[PATS16N0]

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I would agree that Indy as a whole appears to lack that acute threat that Denver has. Denver appears more balanced and PM definitely carries a bigger track record of slicing and dicing a defense.

With that said, so far this season Indy wins 3 out of every 4 games at home. I bet this is a relatively consistent % across the 3 seasons of Luck. Then considering Luck's numbers this year it's puzzling to believe next Sunday's Indy game isn't a bigger concern than normal about getting the W.

As good as the Patriots have looked recently and as good as the Patriots potential (on paper) appears, things aren't clicking/running so smooth and automatic that playing a road game against an established winning team isn't extra concerning.

 

[Deus Irae]

He also, I believe, has his share of executing 4th quarter drives/comebacks (with that noted huge comeback in a playoff game)
Luck got a lot of adoration before he even threw a single NFL pass. This, IMHO, made some football fans most definitely not a fan of Luck. Otherwise I don't how one can look at Luck's 2.5 season performance and call it less than very solid.

Absolutely

Tom Brady's first 3 years:
79 TDs
38 INTs
2.0789:1 ratio

Andrew Luck's first 3 years (really 2+ years as this year's not done):
72 TDs
36 INTs
2.0:1 ratio

Drew Bledsoe's first 3 years:
53 TDs
58 INTs
0.9137:1 ratio

Peyton Manning's first 3 years:
85 TDS
58 INTs
1.4655:1 ratio


Luck's pacing Brady, in terms of TD/INT ratio, well ahead of Peyton, mighty Peyton, and he's a completely different animal from Bledsoe in his early years.

 

[patsfan-1982]

its on the road vs a playoff team that also has the by week it wont be a easy win

 

[PATS16N0]

I'm predicting yet another Patriot statement win before which the league will tremble.

 

[rochrist]

He also, I believe, has his share of executing 4th quarter drives/comebacks (with that noted huge comeback in a playoff game)
Luck got a lot of adoration before he even threw a single NFL pass. This, IMHO, made some football fans most definitely not a fan of Luck. Otherwise I don't how one can look at Luck's 2.5 season performance and call it less than very solid.

A 68 quarterback rating in three postseason games with 7 picks is solid? Mark Sanchez has a 94 quarterback rating in the postseason.

 

[IcyPatriot]

Andrew Luck reminds me of Brett Favre ...

You know you're INT opportunities will be there every game.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Absolutely

Tom Brady's first 3 years:
79 TDs
38 INTs
2.0789:1 ratio

Andrew Luck's first 3 years (really 2+ years as this year's not done):
72 TDs
36 INTs
2.0:1 ratio

Drew Bledsoe's first 3 years:
53 TDs
58 INTs
0.9137:1 ratio

Peyton Manning's first 3 years:
85 TDS
58 INTs
1.4655:1 ratio


Luck's pacing Brady, in terms of TD/INT ratio, well ahead of Peyton, mighty Peyton, and he's a completely different animal from Bledsoe in his early years.

Agree 100% on the Bledsoe-Luck comparison being off base (giving DB his definite due though).

Luck's numbers nearly pacing Brady's.......that's a bit surprising. Even with his solid success I didn't 'sense' he was pacing near a gold standard.
Consider: **he had sky high expectations before even being drafted, **he then does a direct 1:1 replacement of an Indy legend/NFL super-superstar, **he is starting day 1 on a team in rebuilding mode headed by a new/rookie HC, **his stats/performance to date. It paints an impressive picture of Luck's performance when taken in context.

With that said, I think Indy still has enough deficiencies that the Patriots win if they bring their A/close to A game. Our margin of error, though, doesn't have much slack....

 

[Deus Irae]

Agree 100% on the Bledsoe-Luck comparison being off base (giving DB his definite due though).

Luck's numbers nearly pacing Brady's.......that's a bit surprising. Even with his solid success I didn't 'sense' he was pacing near a gold standard.
Consider: **he had sky high expectations before even being drafted, **he then does a direct 1:1 replacement of an Indy legend/NFL super-superstar, **he is starting day 1 on a team in rebuilding mode headed by a new/rookie HC, **his stats/performance to date. It paints an impressive picture of Luck's performance when taken in context.

With that said, I think Indy still has enough deficiencies that the Patriots win if they bring their A/close to A game. Our margin of error, though, doesn't have much slack....

We can also add that Luck's best receiver was lost for the year early in in year 2, along with the team's RB1. Despite that, he took his team to an 11-5 record and an impressive playoff victory (2nd largest comeback ever), before bowing out against a superior opponent with a HOF coach.

He did this with Darius Heyward-Bay playing in all 16 games, starting 11 of them as the WR2, and finishing the season with 29 catches in those 16 games, which is fewer than Reggie Wayne had amassed (38) in just 7 games. He's the best young QB in the game, and is probably going to be pounding down the door to join the elites by next season, if not sooner.

Having said that, I agree with your assessment of the two teams. Indy doesn't have the defenders to stop the Patriots, and doesn't have enough offensive horses to overcome that, although playing inside on the turf will benefit the Colts on both sides of the ball. This is NE's game to lose.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

A 68 quarterback rating in three postseason games with 7 picks is solid? Mark Sanchez has a 94 quarterback rating in the postseason.

That's looking at a stat in a vacuum. Ok, let's put aside that Luck started from day 1 on a team rebuilding with a new/rookie HC, and the unrealistic expectations, to likely be 3 out of 3 for leading his team to playoff appearances (to go with his solid stats that helped get the team there).

As you mentioned he's played 3 postseason games.
1 game is considered one of the best comebacks in playoff history.
The other 2 games:
vs Baltimore. Consider Brady's rating vs the same Balt team the following week: 62.3.
Vs Patriots in Foxboro (is it officially the hardest place to win a playoff game in the last 10 years?). Though Indy had multiple suspect parts to it, Luck still lead Indy to 2o points after 3 quarters which kept it a one score deficit game to start the fourth quarter. And it's a deficit brought about, and got bigger, in good part by the Patriots potent rushing game that ate up a disproportionate amount of clock.

Given all that, it is an unfair conclusion that Luck has not been (at least) solid throughout his young career because of a playoff game against the Patriots in Foxboro, and a playoff game against the eventual SB winners that became super hot at the right time/did similar to the Patriots as what they did to Indy.

 

[PScottman]

.. building a team with a QB on a big, big contract is very hard.

Especially since said QB gets a vote. Do they sacrifice even a little in contract structure or length to enable the front office to manipulate the cap for those 1-2 extra players that would make a big difference? Some do, many don't.

 

[PScottman]

I'm predicting yet another Patriot statement win before which the league will tremble.

Turn your sarcasm meter to full before reading:

Hidden cameras reveal BB is doing the following in practice this week:

Cranking the Bon Jovi at "10" at every waking moment of practice starting from the walk to the practice facility from the parking lot

Turning the thermostat in the practice bubble to "96" and leaving it there (110 in the locker room during "halftime")

Sending tape measures to all officiating crews demonstrating what the length of 2.1 yards is.

Giving the scout team cornerbacks giant foam fingers "for face guarding" purposes