Examining the biggest game of the week. Colts-Patriots highlights Week 11.
The NFL’s best rivalry over the last decade resumes Sunday at Gillette Stadium, as the Colts take on the Patriots in a key AFC contest.
Tom Brady and the Pats are coming off of perhaps their most impressive victory in two years, defeating the Steelers 39-26 in Pittsburgh AFC East with the Jets, and along with the Falcons have the best record in the NFL.
Plagued by injuries on both sides of the ball the last few weeks, the Colts have struggled, but are still finding ways to win. And as long as No.18 is under center, it’s hard to bet against the Colts in the regular season.
A 6-3 record has them on top of the AFC South and one game back of the Patriots and Jets for the best record in the AFC .
Much like last week’s Patriots-Steelers game, this week’s contest could go a long way towards determining home-field advantage in the conference.
Despite a blowout loss at the hands of the Browns in Week 9, the Patriots have at times looked like the best team in the NFL. Brady is playing at an MVP level, and the young defense is improving under the guidance of Bill Belichick. The real test comes this week, even though Manning doesn’t have all of his weapons to work with.
Indy has won the last two regular season meetings in this series, but they have a couple of things working against them in this one.
First, the Indy defense plays much better at home. Pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis take advantage of the crowd noise at Lucas Oil Stadium, giving them a big edge against opposing offensive lines. But when they play on the road and the crowd is quiet when the home team is on offense, Freeney and Mathis aren’t nearly as effective.
Moreover, Indy’s defense is awful against the run – 29th in the league – and the Patriots have an effective run game with BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead.
Second, the injuries on offense will be too difficult to overcome in a big game like this one. Both the running backs and the receivers have been hit hard this season. Joseph Addai, Donald Brown and Mike Hart are all injured. The good news for the Colts is that Addai practiced on Thursday and reportedly could be a game-time decision on Sunday. Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie and Blair White all fully participated in practice on Thursday, but Collie’s status is still in doubt.
Manning’s numbers have taken a big hit over the last few weeks, and he didn’t throw a touchdown last week against the Bengals. Tight end Jacob Tamme has become his go-to receiver, making the offense far less explosive.
Lastly, Brady rarely loses at home. He has won 24 straight home games in which he has started, one short of Brett Favre’s record of 25 straight wins in Green Bay
The Patriots surely will be out for revenge after last year’s gut-wrenching loss in Indianapolis
This one shouldn’t produce that high of a score, but make no mistake; points will be put on the board.
Brady and the Patriots will be too much for Manning and the Colts, and the Patriots win 28-17.
OVERTIME
>> Much has been made of the rivalry between Brady and Manning.
This debate will never be settled, because it really depends on what fans value more: stats or rings?
Barring injury, Manning will end his career as the all-time leader in every significant statistical category for a quarterback. But Brady has three Super Bowl rings, while Manning has just one.
Manning has won four regular season MVP awards, appeared in two Super Bowls and won one Super Bowl MVP. Brady has won one regular season MVP, appeared in four Super Bowls, winning three and taking home two Super Bowl MVPs.
When it has mattered most, Brady has come through. Manning is a different story, and interceptions at key times have plagued him in the playoffs. In Super Bowl XLIV, Manning threw an interception when his team was driving down the field with a chance to tie the game. The interception was returned for a touchdown for the Saints, putting the game out of reach.
In the one Super Bowl that Brady lost, he drove his team down for the game-tying touchdown. If not for a dropped interception by the Patriots’ Asante Samuel and a miraculous catch by the Giants’ David Tyree, Brady would four-for-four in Super Bowl appearances.
Manning’s numbers look great, and he will likely be on top of the record books for quite some time.
But Brady has the true hardware – the kind of hardware that makes players legendary: rings.
