NFL Indianapolis ColtsNew England Patriots

New England Patriots Prove They Are Most Complete Team In NFL

Fresh Videos

By @edpvideo

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports

In front of a primetime national audience, you would expect nothing less than a stellar performance from the New England Patriots, and they delivered on Sunday Night Football by taking it to the Indianapolis Colts 42-20.

In the latest addition to the Bill Belichick list of statement games, the Patriots used a strong defense and punishing running game to distance themselves from one of their strongest challengers in the AFC.

In a game that found Tom Brady struggling through a first half where he threw for only 84 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, it was the running game that picked up the slack. Jonas Gray became the Patriots’ workhorse with 38 carries for 199 yards — providing a consistent dose of punishing runs against the Colts defense.

Given enough time and support from a running game and defense that limited the Colts’ offense — particularly their running game that was held to under 25 yards — Brady eventually found his rhythm. In the second half, Brady spread the ball among all of his receivers, but never had to rely on his favorite target, Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski wasn’t a factor for much of the game, although he did score the door-slamming touchdown late in the fourth quarter on only his fourth reception of the night.

As each week of the season passes by, the Patriots show how complete of a team they are. It’s hard to imagine a better example of the ‘next man up’ mantra than the system being run by Belichick in New England. Fifth-year receiver Brandon LaFell is quickly becoming a dangerous wideout and favorite target of Brady, and is easily on his way to his best season in the league. The same can be said of the rapid emergence of first-year running back Gray, who was the star tonight with four touchdowns in only his fourth game.

It’s hard to imagine a more complete team that can overcome difficult nights in any phase of their game by shifting emphasis to another phase. The Patriots are gaining momentum and are the team to beat in the AFC, if not the entire league.

Paul Kakert is an NFL and Chicago Bears writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Share Tweet
Trending Now on