The NFL season has already provided us with plenty of drama and excitement, but we can still expect much more in the weeks ahead as the fight for playoff spaces heats up.
NFL bettors looking for the best way to use their betting site welcome offers will be studying the evidence that has been amassed so far…..
They’ll be trying to work out how the season will develop, particularly in the wide-open AFC, where the West Division has looked surprisingly weak, and the East Division has developed in a way that few were predicting.
Patriots facing three-way challenge
The Patriots have gotten used to not having things their own way in the AFC East in recent seasons, but there are signs that the 2022 season will be even tougher than expected.
During a slow start to the season, they lost to the Dolphins, Ravens and Packers before their high scoring wins against the Browns and the Lions enabled Bill Belichick and Mac Jones to breathe a little easier.
There will still be tougher challenges ahead, however, as they will play their two games against the dominant Bills in the last six weeks of the season. There are also two games to come against the division’s surprise package, the New York Jets, and another tough match-up with the Dolphins.
At least, they have given Jones more tools this time around. DeVante Parker is a serious threat as the number-one receiver, while draft pick Tyquan Thornton has a serious pace that can be utilized to great effect.
The victories over the Browns and the Lions also showed that the Patriots’ defense is still one of the best in the NFL, as they conceded only 15 points across the two games.
Colts looking for consistency
After missing out on the playoffs despite a 9−8 record last season thanks to a final-week defeat to the Jaguars, the Colts franchise spent the summer gearing up to go all-in this time around.
The Colts haven’t won the AFC South since 2014, but they seemed determined to make a stronger challenge this summer, with their biggest move being the arrival of veteran quarterback Matt Ryan, who replaces Carson Wentz.
Ryan brings the experience and consistency that Wenz couldn’t offer and gives the Colts a confident leader on the field.
Jonathan Taylor is still the star of the offense, but Ryan’s task has been to get the most out of an inexperienced wide receiver group. That certainly seems to be happening, as the Colts have been one of the best passing teams through the opening weeks of the season.
They also pulled off a notable win against the Kansas City Chiefs in week three.
On the other hand, their divisional record has been mediocre and early season defeats to the Titans and the Jaguars, along with a tie against the Texans, will make it harder for them to claim the division.
Head-to-head
This rivalry goes all the way back to 1970, and the first fully merged NFL season, when the Baltimore Colts and the Boston Patriots found themselves in the same AFC East Division.
The Colts won both games that season, on their way to winning the first Super Bowl of the new era, but the matchups in 1971 were shared one apiece and the Patriots have generally had the better of the teams over the last 52 years, winning 52 times to the Colts’ 30.
Their meetings became less regular after 2002 when the Colts were moved to the AFC South. Between 2009 and 2018, the Patriots won all nine of their games, but last season, the Colts ended that run with a 27−17 win at the Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Patriots have also won four out of five of their post-season encounters, including two of the three times they’ve met in the AFC Championship game, the latest being a crushing 45−7 victory in 2015.
Key players to watch
Despite the relative inexperience of the Colts’ receiver group, they have made a strong start to the season and were rated in the top five through the first six weeks, with Matt Ryan’s calm assurance having a strong effect.
So, if the Patriots are to win here, they will have to find a way to get to Ryan on a consistent basis, which is where Matt Judon comes in. The three-time pro bowler was averaging one sack per game through the opening weeks, and he has the ability to shut down the Colts’ passing game.
Jonathan Taylor had a spectacular 2021 and he is pivotal to the Colts’ offense. With Ryan ensuring that the passing game is working smoothly, the Colts present a double threat, as Taylor is a match-winner.
He rushed for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, so the Colts will be hoping that he has shaken off his early season ankle injury by the time they head to the Gillette Stadium.
Where the game will be won and lost
So far this season, the Patriots have been a middle-ranking team in most departments, and the key to this game will be whether they can shut down the Colts’ passing offense, which has ranked in the top five.
If they can shut down some of the supply from Matt Ryan, that might put more pressure on Taylor, while offensively, they will be aiming to exploit the Colts’ poor run defense.
The first of these objectives seems more realistic than the second, and the result could be a low-scoring defensive tussle, in which the team that grinds it out most effectively will end up on top.
