There are three “revenge games” on the docket Sunday, but all of the teams and figures involved are in different places now than when the conflicts first arose.
Patriots vs. Colts is just one of Week 6’s revenge games that are likely to disappoint
Every team and figure involved is in a much different place now.
The main event, of course, is Sunday night's showdown between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. The Colts started the whole Deflategate saga, as they relayed concerns to the NFL prior to the AFC Championship about the Patriots playing with under-inflated footballs. Payback is seemingly on the mind of every Patriots fan, including Tom Brady's dad, who says he wants to see the Pats "drop 60 points" on Indy.
But since Deflategate started, the Patriots and Colts have gone in completely opposite directions. New England seems poised for another Super Bowl run, whereas the Colts are fighting to maintain respectability.
Patriots vs. Colts
Patriots: Ever since the NFL deemed Tom Brady’s footballs to be under-inflated at halftime of the AFC title game, he’s completed 165 of 234 passes for 1,846 yards and 17 touchdowns. Brady has been an unstoppable force at the ripe old age of 38, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.
Brady's monstrous season is the No. 1 reason why the undefeated Patriots are threatening to run the table for the second time in eight years. Another reason is tight end Rob Gronkowski, who's arguably the toughest cover in the NFL. This is the first year since 2011 that Gronkowski isn't coming off a season-ending or postseason surgery, and he's putting the league on notice.
Colts: On the surface, it appears as if the Colts are getting back on track after a winless start. But then you remember all three of their wins have come against the moribund Titans, Jaguars and Texans, and you quickly begin to disabuse yourself of that notion (the Colts only managed to beat all three clubs by only one possession as well).
The Colts’ 2015 campaign has been littered with turmoil, most notably with reports about head coach Chuck Pagano clashing with general manager Ryan Grigson. Regardless of how the Colts finish, it seems as if this could be Pagano’s final year in Indianapolis.
The Patriots are the epitome of stability. Right now, the Colts are anything but.
Update: The Steelers beat the Cardinals, 25-13. Mike Vick was hurt and gave way to Landry Jones, who happened to throw for a pair of touchdowns, both of which went to wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who recently returned from a four-game suspension. It was a rough game for the Cardinals, who only managed 55 yards rushing, and Carson Palmer threw a pair of interceptions.
There was no revenge to be had for the Cardinals or for Bruce Arians, but below is the original blurb we had written.
In addition to being a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII, this game is the first time Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians will return to Pittsburgh since the Steelers forced him out nearly three and a half seasons ago. With that backstory in mind, Arians will probably want to light up the scoreboard against his former team. And he has the weapons to do it.
Cardinals: Arizona is off to an undefeated start and is arguably the best team in the NFC. They've scored more points than any other club in the NFL, and dropped 42 on the Detroit Lions last week.
Carson Palmer has been other worldly this year, throwing for 1,316 yards with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. Wideout Larry Fitzgerald has seemingly rediscovered the fountain of youth, too, as he's recorded 35 catches for 490 yards and six touchdowns.
Since the Steelers pushed Arians out as offensive coordinator, he’s been named NFL Coach of the Year twice and seems ready to lead the Cardinals on their second Super Bowl run in seven years. Suffice to say, he’s had the last laugh.
Steelers: Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is reeling. The good news is, it finally seems as if Ben Roethlisberger and offensive coordinator Todd Haley are on the same page after a rough start to their partnership. The bad news is, Roethlisberger is currently out of action with a left knee injury.
That means 35-year-old Mike Vick will start at quarterback Sunday, and so far the results with him under center have been mixed. He's only thrown for 365 yards in two games, including a lackluster 124-yard performance in the Steelers' Week 4 loss to the Ravens.
An inexperienced Steelers defense seems ill-equipped to stop the potent Cardinals’ offensive attack, and a weakened Steelers offense will likely be unable to keep up.
Ravens vs. 49ers
Update: 49ers beat the Ravens, 25-20. You could say that the 49ers got revenge on the Ravens for that Super Bowl loss but, really, the teams have a combined three wins following the game. If John Harbaugh had upset on the mind, he didn’t get it, as Joe Flacco threw two very bad interceptions, Colin Kaepernick had a pair of touchdowns and 340 passing yards and the 49ers are 2-4 on the season.
No revenge for the Ravens, but here’s what we wrote about the game originally:
This is another Super Bowl rematch, but the revenge component here stems from the way John Harbaugh’s younger brother, Jim, was ousted from San Francisco last year. He was reportedly feuding with 49ers general manager Trent Baalke, and ownership didn’t take his side.
Jim Harbaugh recovered nicely, signing a seven-year contract with Michigan that will pay him at least $5 million per season. But that doesn’t mean John won’t be looking to avenge his little bro.
Ravens: The problem with that plan is, the 1-4 Ravens are off to a lousy start. On the bright side, though, Joe Flacco has found his groove over the last three weeks. He's completed 60 percent of his passes for 761 yards and four touchdown passes since Week 3. He'll have his best weapon back on the field Sunday, too, as Steve Smith is expected to play after missing one game with a back injury.
49ers: So though the Ravens may have hope to recover from a woeful start, the 49ers do not. They’ve lost four consecutive games since their season opener, and have been outscored by a margin of 137-55.
Colin Kaepernick certainly doesn't look like the same quarterback who played against the Ravens in the Super Bowl three years ago. Over the last three seasons, his touchdown-to-interception ratio isn't even 2:1.
Success can be fleeting in the NFL, and perhaps no team embodies that more than this version of the 49ers. One has to wonder how different things would look this season if John’s younger bro was still around.
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