The finest means for the Patriots protection to organize for the Indianapolis Colts offense is to show again two weeks in the past to a Monday night time efficiency in opposition to the Chicago Bears.
The Bears got here to Foxboro sporting one of many worst offenses within the league, and someway put up 33 factors to upset the heavily-favored Patriots.
The Colts are as dangerous, if not worse, than the Bears, on the subject of offense. They’re ranked thirtieth in factors per recreation (16.1). And they now have a younger, inexperienced quarterback on the helm.
Sam Ehlinger is making his second NFL begin in wake of the benching of former starter Matt Ryan.
So if there’s a lesson to be discovered from the Bears recreation, the Pats protection received’t look previous the Colts, and sit up for their upcoming bye week. And they’ll be on prime of their offense.
They’ll be prepared for Ehlinger, who like Bears quarterback Justin Fields, isn’t afraid to scramble. With the Colts already having designed runs in place for the child, the Pats will should be able to defend all the weather in the event that they need to preserve some optimistic momentum going by means of the bye.
“We just have to know what we’re doing, and play well,” stated defensive captain Devin McCourty.
Here’s how the Patriots protection could make Ehlinger’s life depressing:
1. Spook the child
It’s slightly late for Halloween, however the Patriots nonetheless need to go full ghost-mode in opposition to Ehlinger, simply as they did final week in opposition to Zach Wilson of the Jets. They need to dial up just a few extra disguised appears, produce strain and see if Ehlinger, the Colts 2021 sixth-round decide, can deal with it.
Coming out of faculty, one scouting report on the previous Texas quarterback suggests he was liable to taking too many possibilities slightly than making the good play.
That’s principally how the Patriots dealt with Wilson final week. They let him make errors.
In a loss to the Commanders on Sunday, Ehlinger accomplished 17 or 23 passes for 201 yards. He had a 100.1 passer ranking in making his first NFL begin. That’s fairly good for a gap act, but when the Patriots are capable of cease the Colts run recreation, simply as they did in opposition to the Jets final week, and pressure Ehlinger to beat them, that’ll put him in Bill Belichick’s wheelhouse.
2. Beware of the copycat
It’s no secret. Thus far, the deadly flaw for the Patriots protection has been defending cellular quarterbacks. Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields had their means each scrambling, and taking off with designed run performs.
Ehlinger isn’t fairly in the identical league as Jackson and Fields, however Frank Reich will remember to arrange his quarterback for just a few run performs, understanding the Pats have struggled in that space.
“With Ehlinger in there, you’ve seen more of the design runs. How much they want to do it, we won’t know. We’ll have to see it once the game starts,” stated McCourty. “I undoubtedly assume it’s a risk, particularly in key conditions, third-and-one, the pink space. Times like that, we’ve to be alert.
“With different quarterback runs, obviously, we’ve struggled a little bit when you think back to playing Fields and Lamar Jackson. So I think we have to be ready, because there’s a chance we’ll see (Ehlinger run),” he went on. “It’s a copycat league. Things that have hurt you throughout the season, you always have to be ready when teams have the ability to do that, to see it again. It might not be a big part of their plan, but if they run it one time and it works, you’ll see it all game.”
3. Take away Pittman
While the Patriots are prone to be centered on stuffing the Colts run recreation, they will’t overlook about Michael Pittman. The receiver had a breakout 12 months final 12 months throughout his sophomore season, with 88 catches, over 1,000 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns.
The former USC star, who’s 6-foot-4, 223 kilos, is a troublesome matchup. Even with all of the quarterback switches the Colts have made through the previous 12 months alone (Carson Wentz, Ryan, Ehlinger) Pittman stays the chain-mover and go-to-guy when Indy wants a play.
He’s already on his solution to one other 1,000-yard season, with 51 catches for 528 yards.
Whether it’s Jalen Mills, Jonathan Jones or rookie Jack Jones, the Patriots can’t let Pittman beat them.
They can also’t sleep on rookie Alex Pierce, who ranks third within the NFL in receiving yards (373) for rookies.
Source: www.bostonherald.com