Colts vs Patriots: Behind Enemy Lines

The Fanball Sports Network offers insight and expert advice on all 32 NFL teams, and has in-depth information regarding all aspects of weekly games. Once again we delve into an opponent’s locker room to gain insight into the foe facing our Indianapolis Colts. This week the New England Patriots come to Indianapolis in what will be one of the biggest games of the season. However, in order to gain more insight into this tough AFC rival I had a Q&A session with Patriots expert, Bruce Allen.

Bruce is the Fanball Sports Network writer for the Patriots, and he writes at Patriots Daily. So here is some insight from Bruce that will hopefully give us a better idea of what to expect come Sunday: 

ColtsChatter: The Colts and Patriots have become two of the marquee franchises in the NFL, but do Patriots fans view their annual game against the Colts as one of the biggest games of the year? Or is it just another AFC opponent on the schedule?

PatsDaily: Patriots/Colts is definitely THE game of the season this decade for Patriots fans. While we’ve got the strong rivalries with the Jets, Dolphins and to a lesser extent the Steelers, fans always circle the Colts game on the schedule. (Even if most can’t figure out the scheduling logic that had the Colts coming to Gillette for the first several years, and now the Patriots going to Indy for the last few, even when it is explained to them.)  This game has even more added importance, giving the Patriots standing in the AFC and trying to prove they’re back to being a contender.

ColtsChatter: How good can this Patriots team be this season? I know that they are 6-2 this season, but is this team still a super bowl contender?

PatsDaily: They’re in their toughest stretch of games right now, (Miami last week, Indy this week, Jets next week, Saints week after, and then in Miami) so we’ll know pretty quickly. In fact, we might know after this game whether they can be a contender. It’s their biggest test of the season, especially since it seems like Brady might be back to his old self after struggling early in the season. If they can win this one, 13-3 is a pretty good possibility. If not, 12-4 or even another 11-5 season seem likely. They’re still coming together as a team, so it should be fun to watch. 

ColtsChatter: The Patriots lost several key defensive players this offseason, many of whom Colts fans have grown accustom to facing at least once a season. However, with the losses on the defensive side of the ball, will Bill Belichick still be able to put together a defense that can slow down Peyton Manning?

PatsDaily: Rebuilding the defense was a necessity, though perhaps Belichick might not wanted to have done it quite this quickly. It really started with that AFC Championship game loss to the Colts three years ago. They were exposed as aging and slow in that game, and have been rebuilding with (mostly) youth and speed since. Jerod Mayo, Brandon Meriweather, Darius Butler, Gary Guyton, Patrick Chung, and Myron Pryor, are all good young defensive players that have been a part of this rebuilding project, and the fact that Belichick has done it “on the fly” without really taking a step back in the standings is pretty remarkable. 

ColtsChatter: What must the Colts do this weekend in order to come out with a win against this tough Patriots team?

PatsDaily: The formula for beating the Patriots is fairly simple…pressure up the middle. When pressured from the side, Brady steps up in the pocket, where he is most comfortable, pressured up the middle, he has to step outside and is much less comfortable out there. You can’t have single coverage on Randy Moss, gotta have that safety help over the top. On the other side of the ball, Denver showed that the Patriots were vulnerable to the short/swing passing game, and they had problems wrapping up tackles in that game…something that has plagued them from time to time this season. 

I would like to thank Bruce Allen for contributing to this weeks edition of Behind Enemy Lines. Make sure you give Patriots Daily a look this week to get news and happenings on this weekends game between the Colts and Patriots.