The Indianapolis Colts were the No. 1 offense in the NFL, but the New England Patriots kept Andrew Luck and the Colts out of the end zone for much of the game. While the defense played well, the real star of the day was running back Jonas Gray, who scored four touchdowns as the Patriots won a big AFC matchup in Indianapolis 42-20.
Colts vs. Patriots 2014 final score: 3 things we learned from a 42-20 Patriots win
Tom Brady and running back Jonas Gray got the Patriots a big AFC win over the Colts 42-20.
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Here’s what we learned.
1. Jonas Gray is leading the way for the Patriots’ rush offense.
Gray was an undrafted free agent a few months ago. On Sunday, he carried the ball 38 times for four touchdowns and 199 yards rushing as the Patriots ran over the NFL’s ninth-ranked rush defense. Gray entered the game with just 131 career rushing yards and no touchdowns, only to blow away those numbers in one game.
The Patriots had a creative way of creating more push against the Colts’ defensive line:
Patriots have used 6 OL on 42.9% of their offensive plays in this game so far.
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) November 17, 2014 That gave the Patriots all the momentum they needed to rush for more than 240 yards on the day. Quarterback Tom Brady had a relatively pedestrian day with 257 passing yards (and two picks), but Gray and the offensive line made all the difference.
Receiver Julian Edelman and running back Shane Vereen both got a few catches from Brady, and tight end Tim Wright had a big touchdown catch on the goal line for the Patriots. Tight end Rob Gronkowski was largely kept in check, but he got loose for a big touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, running wild through Colts tacklers:
2. The Patriots’ defense was seriously solid.
As the Patriots' running game flourished, the Colts' running game never got going. Running back Trent Richardson was barely able to reach the line of scrimmage. The Colts finished with just 19 rushing yards, making Andrew Luck throw on every single down, despite losing tight end Dwayne Allen to injury and looking to backup Coby Fleener, who had more than 140 yards receiving. Wide receivers Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton both got catches, but the Patriots' tackling was sound, limiting plays after the catch and preventing the Colts from converting on a number of fourth-down attempts.
The Colts were the top-ranked offense coming into the game, but the Patriots' defense (including cornerback Darrelle Revis) were just too good in space, particularly on second and third down.
3. The Colts and the Patriots could meet again in January.
Despite a tough night on offense for the Colts, both of these teams could meet again in the AFC Championship game. The rest of Indianapolis' schedule is relatively smooth sailing (the only teams they'll play with winning records are the Browns and the Cowboys.) The Patriots have a tougher road ahead, heading home to handle Detroit before a big date with Green Bay at Lambeau Field.
★★★
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