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Patriots – Colts, Who Has the Razor’s Edge? Key Matchups

Steve Balestrieri

October 15, 2015 at 7:31 am ET

Patriots – Colts, Who Has the Razor’s Edge? Key Matchups

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Posted Under: Patriots Commentary

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Patriots RBs vs Colts Front Seven – Razor’s Edge New England
The Patriots in their last three games against the Colts have rushed for 657 yards. That means they’re winning the battles up front and in the trenches. With a nice 1-2 combination of LaGarrette Blount and Dion Lewis, the Pats have the option to run or pass and have the big bruiser (Blount), or the speedy, quicker Lewis to keep opponents off balance.

The Colts issue was their front line on defense last season and once Arthur Jones went down with an injury they now have three new starters on the DL. David Parry is the nose tackle and he’s flanked by Henry Anderson and Kendall Langford at defensive end.

Look for the Patriots to assert themselves quickly in the running game early in this one, first with Lewis and later with Blount as they attempt to wear down the Colts defense.

Patriots WRs vs Colts Secondary – Razor’s Edge New England
Tom Brady has been playing lights out during the first quarter of the season; he’s completing 72.5 percent of his throws and has 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions with a quarterback rating of 121.5. His two favorite targets remain Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski but the emergence of Lewis in the passing game has been a very pleasant surprise.

The Colts are currently 27^th in the league in pass defense and only have six sacks in the first five games. That puts a lot of pressure on the back end of the defense and even with the return of Toler at corner, they’ll have issues stopping Gronkowski who’ll be a big advantage for the Patriots when they attack the middle of the field.

This could a week where we see a lot of two-tight end sets and the emergence of TE Scott Chandler more in the passing game. Chandler hasn’t been targeted much and with a Colts team that struggles to cover the tight end, this may be a good time for Brady to get both he and Gronk involved quickly in the passing game.

Next up the Indianapolis offense:

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About Steve Balestrieri

A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)