Sincerely not concerned about this loss. Looking at the matchup and the rosters, I felt generally good about this game on paper, but I had a gut feeling all week (especially as the game approached) that this just wasn't going to be the Pats' night. This is a feeling I'd get during the Brady-era, too, even at the team's peak, and often a stinker would follow it. I trust my gut and I knew trouble was brewing when I felt that familiar sense creeping in this week.
As far as the game itself goes, I was concerned about the team after 2 quarters. I was concerned about Mac Jones after 3 quarters. I'm concerned about nothing after 4 quarters.
I genuinely think Mac was ill tonight (he may have eaten something bad). His face didn't look right even before all the interceptions. Puffy, sunken eyes with grey bags, pale face without much color, looked a little glazed over and hazy, didn't seem mentally sharp; all telltale signs of illness. His response in the 4th quarter put to rest any concerns I had about his performance earlier in the game; that late-game performance demonstrated some serious mental toughness, and he made some darn impressive throws into tight windows.
As for the defense, I was worried early but they put my concerns to bed by the end of the game. There was a sequence towards the end of the 2nd quarter when Godchaux and Barmore made back-to-back plays, respectively, in the red zone to get off blocks and make a tackle. That seemed to perk up the defense, and they carried that energy into the 2nd half. To my eye, they were out-physical'ed in the 1st half, but punched back in the 2nd half and threw the Colts off-balance. I was proud of the resiliency they displayed and feel confident the Pats' defense can defend Taylor and co. should they meet again the postseason. Taylor and the Colts' OL will always get some yards, but this loss was due in larger part to the turnovers/special-teams touchdown than it was the defense.
Mac was comatose for 3/4 of the game, we were without our starting RB for all of the game and without our starting S for part of the game; lost the turnover battle 3-1, gave up a special-teams TD, left points on the field in the red-area, gave up a 50+ yard TD run, spotted them 3 points after jumping offside on the FG attempt ... and it all came on the road after Vinatieri rang the gong for Indy before the game. It just wasn't the Pats' night -- the Colts were always going to win that game. It felt like an early Christmas gift catharsis for Indy after all the poundings we've given them over the past decade. The universe aligned for them tonight. No worries.
You win 7 straight, sometimes you need to be humbled. The Pats looked a little fat-and-happy coming off the bye, the Colts were chomping at the bit, Reich reached deep into his playbook to scheme some stuff up for a regular season game, and the Pats made a series of uncharacteristic mistakes (turnovers, special-teams touchdown, offside on the FG attempt). That was a game the Colts were always meant to win, and despite the Pats making a slew of mistakes that would doom any team no matter how good they are, they still had a legitimate opportunity to compete for the victory.
Take a shower, get some sleep, bury the game ball, dust yourselves on, and go kick Buffalo's teeth in next week.
