Patriots Vs. Colts Doesn’t Have the Hype It Used To

By: Steve Atkinson

Patriots-Colts rivalry is like the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry it’s pretty much gone. There is no hype surrounding Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Colts, not like it used to be with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning going at it. The Colts are a complete mess and just fired their offensive coordinator. While the Patriots sit at 4-4 and are still in last place in the AFC East. Regardless though, the Patriots should win this game easily. The fans need to show some respect to Mac on Sunday and not boo him after 5 minutes.

Patriots Should Beat the Colts Sunday

The game for the Patriots on Sunday is another must-win before heading into the bye week. You don’t want to be 4-5, then you face the tougher part of the schedule starting on Thanksgiving. If The Patriots were to lose Sunday, they would then face the Jets after the bye, who they already beat last week. Say they go back to .500 after beating the Jets you could say the Patriots will lose their next two games between the Vikings and the Bills. They would be 5-6. I’d much rather the Patriots win the Colts and Jets game to be 6-4 heading into the Vikings and Bills game.

Patriots Jakobi Meyers should have a good game

The defense has to play as it did against the Jets last week. Force turnovers and get interceptions. Offensively Stevenson should have another great game, and I also expect a great game from Jakobi Meyers. I predict Meyers will have a couple of touchdowns on Sunday from Mac Jones. I think Tyquan Thorton has a good game, too, and maybe gets a touchdown. I think Jones will have a better game this week than last week. Greg Bedard and Patriots.com said Jones looked better on the coaches’ film of the Jets game than it looked live on TV. Mac Jones talked about going against the Colts defense this week.

“Yeah, I think this is, once again, one of the top defenses in the league. Great front, great backend, great linebackers. They got the players and obviously it’s a little newer scheme compared to last year, with Gus Bradley, but they’ve obviously done a really good job this year in tackles for loss, pressures, and all that. They’re getting back there to the quarterback, and it’s just a really good defense. We’ve just got to be ready to go.”

The return of Stephon Gilmore

Colts’ cornerback Stephon Gilmore will make his return on Sunday, and here is what he had to say about the Patriots to the Boston Herald.

“I had a lot of great games, a lot of accolades, and I got coached by a great coach,” Gilmore told the Herald “(Owner) Robert Kraft was great to me, too. It’s where I played some of my best ball. We won a lot there. So it was a great experience. It was a great place to play. There’s a great atmosphere there. And it’s a great opportunity for me to play there again. To me, it’s one of the best football cities in America.”  

Mac Jones also spoke highly of Gilmore at his press conference this week.

“I have all the respect in the world for him,” Jones said Wednesday at a press conference. “And how he treated me when I was here young. Just some of the information he gave me in the training room or just at his locker. He’s definitely an all-time dude and I’m excited to go against him.”