Top Three Things the Patriots Need to Do to Defeat Indianapolis
The undefeated Colts meet the high flying Patriots. Indy has had a better season thus far, but Brady has his legs back underneath him after a tough first couple of weeks, and the New England defense has become cohesive as a unit.
- Get the ground game going. If Laurence Maroney can have early down success, even if it is just 3-4 yard carries, then the Colts’ front 7 will be forced to take an early beating. If Indy’s front seven gets exhausted in the second half, Brady should have all day to find targets, and screen passes to Kevin Faulk will be extremely effective, as Colt defenders will have a hard time pursuing the play.
- Defensively, control the line of scrimmage. Obviously, the O-line should do the same, but for New England to dethrone the Colts, Peyton Manning will have to be put under pressure. New England has a strong run defense, and Indy has virtually no ground game, so Manning will be forced to pass. Unfortunately, that’s how the Colts have reached 8-0. If the Pats’ can get pressure on Peyton, the newly improved secondary should be able to have reasonable success.
- Brandon Meriweather. Jerod Mayo. They have been playing extremely well over the past few weeks, and their success needs to continue. Meriweather will be calling plays for the DB’s, and he needs to make sure that he plays smart, like his mentor Rodney Harrison. The Patriots’ cornerbacks are much better than they have been in recent years, and should give the Colts’ wide outs a run for their money. Dallas Clark has been a key target for Peyton Manning, but tonight he will be playing the likes of Jerod Mayo and Adalius Thomas, both physical players who should be able to keep up with the quick tight end. If Mayo has success, Clark should be neutralized.
Overall, this game is a hard game to look at. The Colts are obviously 8-0, but they’ve not been matched up against great teams. So far they’ve beaten the likes of the .500 Jagurs as well as the abysmal Tennessee Titans and St. Louis Rams. They’ve only played 2 winning teams, the Cardinals and the Texans, who have a combined record of 10-7. The Colts are certainly a great team, and this will be a good barometer for their future, but if New England can succeed in doing the above mentioned items, the Colts will be 8-1.
