New England Patriots vs. Indianapolis Colts: Complete NFL Schedule & Predictions for 2015 AFC Championship Game (POLL)
The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, two teams with a storied rivalry, are the final two AFC teams remaining in the 2015 NFL playoffs.
On Sunday afternoon at 6:40 p.m. EST, the Patriots and Colts will collide in the AFC Championship game.
The winner of this game will play either the Seattle Seahawks or Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 49. Not since the days when Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were suiting up for these two teams has so much been at stake.
In the 2006 AFC title game, these two teams battled in a thrilling classic that saw the Colts complete a historic come-from-behind 38-34 win at home and go on to win the franchise's only Super Bowl title at Super Bowl XLI. Will we see another classic this time around?
Let's break down the teams and see who has the advantage:
New England Patriots
The Patriots are making their fourth consecutive AFC Championship game appearance. Having lost their last two to the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos, the Patriots are trying to end that drought against the Colts. The Patriots won the AFC East and defeated the Ravens in a thrilling AFC Divisional game, 35-31.
The biggest concern for the Patriots has been the ground game. This year the Patriots didn't have a single back with more than 450 rushing yards, and Stevan Ridley has been out for the majority of the season. Jonas Gray had a career day against the Colts in Week 11 with 201 rushing yards, but he has just 20 total carries since then. Against the Ravens, the Patriots had 13 carries for 14 rushing yards.
Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski lead the Patriots offense against the Colts. Brandon LaFell is the team's best deep threat, but Julian Edelman is Brady's go-to guy. Last week, we even saw Edelman throw a touchdown pass to Danny Amendola.
Last week the Patriots defense almost let the team down. Cornerback Darrelle Revis had multiple pass interference penalties, and the Patriots defensive line struggled against the run. The Patriots have allowed more than 100 rushing yards the last three consecutive weeks.
The Patriots defeated the Colts in Week 11, 42-20.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been on fire lately winning seven of their last eight games, including playoff victories over the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos. Despite not having an elite defensive squad during the regular season, the Colts have allowed just two touchdowns in the postseason so far.
Andrew Luck had a league-high 40 passing touchdowns during the regular season, and that will be the focal point in Sunday's game. TY Hilton and Reggie Wayne are the two best wide receivers for the Colts, and tight end Coby Fleener is great at extending drives.
Even though the Colts running game has been inconsistent all season long, Dan Herron played very against the Broncos last week. The Colts need Herron to have a big impact against the Patriots for a balanced offensive attack.
Defensively, the Colts have shown they can stop the pass ranking 12th this season. There's a good chance we will see a lot of blitzing by head coach Chuck Pagano and defensive coordinator Greg Manusky. It's tough to beat the Patriots at Gillette Stadium, but the Colts did defeat the Broncos at Mile High last week, where Manning was 8-0 this season.
The Colts' defense has allowed just one touchdown in four of their last five games.
Schedule, Where to Watch
The Colts and Patriots will play each other on Sunday, Jan. 18, at 6:40 p.m. EST on CBS. The game will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. You can view a live game stream here.
Predictions
The Colts appear to be peaking at just the right time. Obviously Luck is the leader, but their defense is playing outstanding this postseason As bad as their running game has looked at times, the Patriots don't have a stable running game either. Luck's mobility will make the difference.
Colts win 31-28
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