Colts preparing for any, all possibilities against Patriots
Michael Marot The Associated Press
Oct. 17, 2015 Updated: July 24, 2017 7:15 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS >> The Colts spent all week poring through New England's game tapes looking for answers.
They know they haven't really seen anything yet.
If Indianapolis has learned anything from four straight blowout losses to the rival Patriots, it's this: Things will change Sunday night.
"Right when you think you know exactly what (Bill Belichick) is going to do, he defends you a different way," coach Chuck Pagano said. "Not only him, but Matt Patricia, the defensive coordinator, they do a great job. They do a great job of making you beat them left-handed."
It's a riddle Indianapolis (3-2) hasn't solved since Pagano and Andrew Luck arrived in 2012.
Indy's last two playoff runs ended with 43-22 and 45-7 losses at New England. When the Colts finally got the Patriots on their home field last November, they lost 42-20. In Luck's rookie season, Indy took a 14-7 lead then got drubbed 59-24. And when they couldn't beat Tom Brady on the field, they turned him in to the league office for using improperly inflated footballs during last season's AFC championship game.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down a four-game suspension, but a judge nullified the punishment — handing Brady and his bunch yet another victory.
Quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots take on the Colts in Indianapolis Sunday night.Charles Krupa — The Associated Press
Brady has responded with one of the best starts of his career. He's already thrown for 1,387 yards, has 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, leads the league with a rating of 121.5 and has the Pats off to another 4-0 start. His next chance to beat up on the Colts comes with some added motivation, even if Brady won't talk about it.
"I try certainly, to be a professional with how I approach every week," said Brady, who is 13-4 against Indy. "You really put a lot into it every week no matter who you're playing because all these games are important. All of them are hard to win."
Especially when Belichick is the opponent.
But this time, it's the Colts who are taking a page out of the Belichick playbook.
They haven't said much about how they'll defend Brady, whether they'll revert to the short passing game that has helped them win three straight or dropped many hints about Luck's health. Luck missed the last two games with an injured right shoulder and, although he's thrown more in practice this week than the previous two, is still considered day to day.
If Luck doesn't play, 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck will make his third straight start, this time against his father's former team.
The Pats couldn't care less.
"I don't think they've missed a beat (with Hasselbeck)," Patricia said. "I think they're really right on track, so I think both quarterbacks are excellent. I think we've got to be ready for both."
The Colts, meanwhile, are working overtime to get ready for whatever wrinkles Belichick may put in this week.
"You may see different looks that you haven't seen all year," Luck said. "There's an element of that to every game in football that you realize there is an unknown element and you learn pretty quickly to handle it."
Here are some other things to watch Sunday night:
While Brady is putting up MVP numbers this season, the Patriots have dominated this series by grinding it out. Why stop now? During the previous four games against Indy, New England has run for 772 yards and 15 TDs while outscoring the Colts 189-73.
In the AFC championship game, Luck's receivers couldn't get open. Since then, Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner have found new homes and the Colts have firmed up their receiving corps. They're hoping their speedy youngsters — T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett — and a savvy veteran, Andre Johnson, can perform better against New England's revamped secondary.
Gronk gone wild
Even If Indy's run defense holds up against New England, the Colts face another major obstacle — tight end Rob Gronkowski. In five career games against Indy, Gronkowski has 20 catches for 325 yards (16.3-yard average) and six TDs. With Indy's banged-up secondary still trying to get healthy, and inside linebackers Jerrell Freeman and Nate Irving fighting injuries, Gronkowski may make life miserable for the Colts again.
Defying age
Without Luck, the oldest team in football has relied heavily on some longtime vets. Hasselbeck, the oldest non-kicker in the league, has won two straight. Running back Frank Gore and receiver Andre Johnson played well at Houston. Adam Vinatieri is still making kicks. Even if Luck does play this week, the Colts will need the old guys to perform well again to get a breakthrough win.
The streaks
New England has won six straight in this series including the two playoff games and five straight on Sunday night. A win also would give the Pats they're first 5-0 start since 2007 when they went 18-0 before losing in the Super Bowl.