Patriots-Colts Preview

 

VIDEO PLAYLIST

• Countdown Daily Recap: Patriots-Colts

SCOUTING REPORT

Patriots-Colts: 10 observations After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Patriots-Colts matchup. 1. Keep Tom Brady upright: New England has been excellent at protecting its future Hall of Fame signal-caller, but that will be a challenge this week. The Colts' bookend defenders coming off the edge will be a tough task for a banged-up Patriots line. Look for more maximum protection schemes if the line doesn't hold up well early.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
NWE	6-3	259	150	5-0	1-3	2-1	4-3
IND	9-0	252	142	5-0	4-0	3-0	5-0
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

New England Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Brady 66.2 2739 19 6 Hoyer 81.8 52 0 0

Indianapolis Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Mannin... 69.7 2872 20 7 Addai 100.0 22 1 0

New England Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Marone... 94 378 4.0 4 Taylor 45 201 4.5 2

Indianapolis Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Addai 126 440 3.5 6 Brown 50 226 4.5 2

New England Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Moss 58 891 15.4 7 Welker 64 662 10.3 4

Indianapolis Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Wayne 69 879 12.7 8 Clark 64 768 12.0 3

Full Player Stats: New England | Indianapolis

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	NWE	417.0
	IND	401.0
Yards Passing	NWE	302.7
	IND	315.1
Yards Rushing	NWE	114.1
	IND	86.0
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	NWE	304.6
	IND	322.7
Pass Yds Allowed	NWE	194.6
	IND	214.0
Rush Yds Allowed	NWE	110.0
	IND	108.7

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
New England leads 7-5
Nov 2, 2008	NWE 15, IND 18
Nov 4, 2007	NWE 24, IND 20
Jan 21, 2007	NWE 34, IND 38
Nov 5, 2006	NWE 20, @IND 27
Nov 7, 2005	NWE 21, @IND 40
Jan 16, 2005	NWE 20, @IND 3
Sep 9, 2004	NWE 27, @IND 24
Jan 18, 2004	NWE 24, @IND 14
Nov 30, 2003	NWE 38, IND 34
Oct 21, 2001	NWE 38, IND 17
Sep 30, 2001	NWE 44, @IND 13

Tom Brady has returned from major knee surgery and Peyton Manning has moved on without his longtime head coach, but when it comes to their teams' places in the standings, little has changed for the NFL's last two MVPs.

The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts again look like Super Bowl contenders, and the Patriots will try to derail the Colts' 17-game regular-season winning streak as they renew their star-studded rivalry Sunday night.

New England and Indianapolis are the only franchises to win more than 70 percent of their games since the start of the 2001 season, and they have combined to win half of the eight Super Bowls in that stretch.

Personnel changes haven't slowed either team this year. While the Patriots (6-2) have relied on a patchwork defense to help them to a commanding lead in the AFC East, the Colts (8-0) have a two-game lead on the rest of the conference under first-year coach Jim Caldwell.

"It will be a little different looking across the sideline not seeing (retired coach) Tony (Dungy)," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "(But they're) 8-0, leading the league in defense in points allowed. ... They're a team offensively that can pretty much do whatever they want to do or need to do. I don't think they are limited in any way. They never have been and they certainly don't look like it now."

Indianapolis, though, has looked somewhat vulnerable in its last two games, the most recent a 20-17 home win over Houston on Sunday that would have gone to overtime had the Texans made a field goal as time expired.

With his team still unbeaten, Manning could be the frontrunner for his second straight MVP. Favorite targets Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark are having prolific years and newcomers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie are contributing, helping Manning to throw for more than 300 yards in seven of his eight starts.

"He's just the ultimate quarterback," said New England cornerback Leigh Bodden, a newcomer to the rivalry. "There's a route and a run to beat every coverage or defensive front. So he looks at it, he surveys it and he checks out of whatever play he's in to go to a better play and he has a lot of weapons and he can put the ball on the money in tight coverage."

Brady, of course, belongs in the same conversation after throwing an NFL-record 50 touchdown passes and winning the league MVP award in 2007, when the Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season.

After missing almost all of last year due to a major knee injury, Brady has regained his form recently, throwing for 1,020 yards and 10 touchdowns during a three-game winning streak. He found Randy Moss for a 71-yard score in a 27-17 win over Miami on Sunday.

New England's offense could present a difficult test for a young Indianapolis secondary that is without safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Marlin Jackson for the rest of the season.

"They've been on a roll lately, just watching them on Sunday games," Colts cornerback Jerraud Powers said of the Patriots. "Tom looked like he was back to his old self. They look like they're clicking on all cylinders. I'm pretty sure this will be a fun one."

While the high-powered passing games may get most of the attention, defense could be the key to the matchup.

The Patriots' revamped unit has dealt with retirements (Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi) and departures (Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour), but anchored by linebacker Jerod Mayo and lineman Vince Wilfork, the team ranks second in scoring defense at 14.4 points per game.

The Colts lead the NFL in that category, with opponents managing 13.5 points. Their defense, which features rookie starters at cornerback in Powers and Jacob Lacey, has allowed four passing touchdowns this season.

"I wouldn't consider them rookies any longer," Caldwell said. "We also don't look at them that way. We don't allow them to make excuses because of experience."

The Patriots will have extra incentive as they try to stop the Colts from joining them as the only teams to finish a 16-game regular season undefeated. Indianapolis also needs four victories to match New England's 21-game run in the regular season from 2006-08 -- an NFL record.

Although half the season remains, the Patriots may need to win Sunday to have a chance at home-field advantage in the playoffs. They have yet to win a true road game, with their only victory away from Gillette Stadium coming over Tampa Bay in London.

This won't be the first time the clubs have gotten in each other's way. The Patriots and Colts have met once each regular season since the start of 2003, splitting the six meetings.

They've also faced off three times in the playoffs in that stretch, with New England winning twice but Indianapolis claiming the most recent matchup in the AFC title game Jan. 21, 2007.

With the exception of last year's 18-15 Colts home win, the constants throughout the recent meetings have been Brady and Manning.

"I'm always keeping up on Peyton. We talk from time to time," Brady said. "I have a lot of respect for him."

Jets S Leonhard questionable, LB Gholston out

Jets safety Jim Leonhard is questionable for the team's game at New England after being limited in practice with a broken right thumb.

Mike Reiss: Welker most valuable?

Wes Welker might be the Patriots' most valuable player.

Pasquarelli: Rookie CBs lift Dolphins

Rookie cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Sean Smith have helped the Dolphins get back in the playoff race, writes Len Pasquarelli.

Nothing but blues for KWS' opponents

Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains has put together an all-star roster of rock stars and friends to do battle in fantasy football and raise money for charity.

Rodney Harrison set to tackle NBC gig

Rodney Harrison [ stats ] is ready to begin the next phase of his life. One of the most storied players in Patriots [ team stats ] history, Harrison will be introduced as the newest member of NBC's broadcast team during a conference call tomorrow, according to a source with knowledge of Harrison's plans.

Jim Donaldson: It's okay to to be optimistic about the 2009 Pats' offense, but let's be realistic

They are more than merely workouts, these sessions in which the Patriots are participating on the grass field in the southern shadow of Gillette Stadium.

Vince Wilfork a no-show again

Patriots [ team stats ] nose tackle Vince Wilfork [ stats ] is scheduled to appear at an event in support of his diabetes charity tomorrow.

Patriots.com News Blitz

Maroney talks about being healthy and Crable and Springs reflect on being back in action.

Patriots re-sign punter Tom Malone

The Patriots announced that they have re-signed punter Tom Malone today. Malone joins veteran Chris Hanson on the roster at the punter spot.

Indianapolis Colts defense won't see wholesale changes

The Indianapolis Colts brought in Larry Coyer to replace Ron Meeks as coordinator, not oversee an extensive renovation of the defense.

Brackett: I'll be ready for Colts camp

Gary Brackett anticipates being ready for the start of training camp as the Indianapolis Colts' veteran linebacker continues to recover from a broken right leg that forced him to miss the end of the 2008 season.

Manning challenges youngsters to emerge as third receiver

The Indianapolis Colts' roster lists nine receivers, so depth isn't a concern, though for the first time since 1995, the collection doesn't include Marvin Harrison. Proven depth is another matter entirely.

Colts' Jackson, Hart recovering quickly

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Marlin Jackson and running back Mike Hart labor on different sides of the ball, but they are recovering from similar injuries and chasing identical timetables.

Brackett energized about Colts coaches

Colts linebacker Gary Brackett honored Canterbury students Thursday for raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.