Foxboro Stadium – Sunday, 1:00 PM ET (CBS)
The undefeated Indianapolis Colts (4–0) travel to Foxboro Stadium to meet the New England Patriots (2–3) in a classic early-season AFC East clash. The Colts are chasing a fifth straight win behind one of the league’s most explosive offenses, while the Patriots are still searching for consistency under new head coach Bill Belichick. For Indy, this is another chance to prove they belong atop the AFC hierarchy; for New England, it’s a gut-check game at home.
Indianapolis Colts: Firing on All Cylinders
The Colts have been dominant through four games, piling up 1,699 total yards of offense — 903 passing and 502 rushing — while averaging 7.4 yards per pass and 4.6 yards per carry. Their balance has made them nearly impossible to defend.
Peyton Manning continues to look more polished each week, spreading the ball among Marvin Harrison, Terrence Wilkins, and Ken Dilger. Harrison remains the heartbeat of the passing game, forcing double coverage and opening up the seams for Dilger and Wilkins. The Colts have converted 54% of third downs and scored on 72% of red-zone trips — elite marks for any offense.
Edgerrin James has been the engine, surpassing 500 yards on the ground already while adding his usual threat as a receiver. Behind a sturdy line led by Tarik Glenn and Jeff Saturday, James has dictated tempo and worn down defenses, giving Manning favorable down-and-distance situations.
Defensively, Indianapolis has been quietly stingy, surrendering only 924 total yards and generating timely takeaways. Linebackers Mike Peterson and Marcus Washington fly to the ball, while Jeff Burris anchors an opportunistic secondary that complements the offense’s quick-strike rhythm.
New England Patriots: Grounding Their Offense
At 2–3, the Patriots have shown flashes but lack week-to-week consistency. Drew Bledsoe has thrown for close to 1,000 yards, but pressure and penalties have kept the offense from sustaining long drives. When he has time, he’s found chemistry with Terry Glenn and Troy Brown, but red-zone execution continues to lag.
On the ground, the Patriots have leaned on Kevin Faulk to set the tone. Faulk leads the team with 60 carries for 252 yards (4.2 avg) and has shown dependable burst between the tackles. Rookie J.R. Redmond has chipped in 29 carries for 96 yards (3.3 avg) and 2 touchdowns, while veteran Terry Carter adds 51 yards on 14 attempts (3.6 avg). Altogether, New England has totaled 476 rushing yards through five weeks — modest production, but enough to keep defenses honest when the line executes.
Belichick’s defense is showing signs of progress. Tedy Bruschi and Willie McGinest anchor a front seven that’s beginning to gel, while Ty Law and Lawyer Milloy lead a secondary that must be sharp against Manning’s pre-snap adjustments. Expect New England to disguise coverages and bring selective blitzes in an attempt to throw off the Colts’ timing.
Matchups to Watch
- Marvin Harrison vs. Ty Law – A duel between two of the AFC’s best. Harrison’s route precision versus Law’s physicality will determine if Indy can stretch the field.
- Edgerrin James vs. Patriots’ Front Seven – Containing James is job one for New England. If he establishes the run early, Manning will dictate tempo the rest of the day.
- Drew Bledsoe vs. Colts’ Pass Rush – Bledsoe has been under siege all season. Indianapolis will test his pocket awareness with pressure off the edges.
X-Factors
- Indianapolis: QB Peyton Manning – His command at the line of scrimmage and ability to read coverage will be critical against Belichick’s disguises.
- New England: RB Kevin Faulk – If Faulk can find space on draws and screens, he’ll help control tempo and keep Manning off the field.
Outlook
The Colts have been nearly unstoppable through four weeks, and there’s little reason to think that changes here. Manning and James form the league’s most dangerous duo, and Indy’s balance makes it hard for defenses to key on any one aspect. The Patriots will need to lean on their running game and force turnovers to stay close, but if they fall behind early, it could get away from them quickly.
📊 Prediction: Colts 30, Patriots 20
Alright, here we go again, another Sunday showdown where dreams are either made or crushed. Listen, watching these Colts and their perfect start is giving me flashbacks of when we all thought *Vinny Testaverde* would lead the Jets to the promised land. Spoiler alert: he didn’t. Ever. But here we are, stuck watching Peyton and his merry men of Indy prance into Foxboro, fully loaded and ready to unleash chaos.
CURTIS MARTIN — there’s a guy you could always count on. None of that hit-or-miss stuff you get from other running backs and certainly not from certain quarterbacks-who-shall-not-be-named-but-rhymes-with-Festerverde. We’ll see if Edgerrin James can even sniff the throne of ground kings like Curtis.
Patriots fans better hope they figure out how to tackle or it’s gonna be a long afternoon. Sure, they’ve got some defense and all under ol’ Belichick. But they’re gonna need more than a few Ty Law heroics to keep this one respectable.
And hey, all eyes on Faulk, right? If he plays his cards right, he could be the one keeping Peyton from turning that stadium into his personal spiking ground. Still, my heart bleeds for ya, Patriots fans, but not really. You’re still sleeping over there following Bill Belichick’s defense chess match like it’s the dawn of time.
📊 Prediction: Colts 30, Patriots 20 – but hey, what do I know? I’m just a long-suffering Jets fan praying for a Testaverde-free life.
Oh man, this matchup is shaping up like a sick Madden game🔥. Colts at 4-0?! Can’t say I didn’t predict Peyton the GOAT Manning would pop off like this, LOL. Dude’s brain is a personal cheat code. Meanwhile, the Pats are stumbling with 2-3…big L if they can’t figure that out anytime soon.
And let’s be real, Indy’s offense is straight-up OP, like they maxed out all the sliders over there. Manning has his x-ray vision activated, passing through defenses like they aren’t even there. And Edgerrin James? Bro’s running through defenses like it’s Black Friday at Best Buy🏃♂️💨.
Patriots need a miracle or a glitch—maybe Bledsoe will remember how to dodge sacks this game? Spoiler alert: Not gonna happen, fam. They better call up Kevin Faulk for a script rewrite or it’ll be GG before halftime.
FYI, Colts W by double digits seems like the safe bet. Slap that 30-20 prediction label on it and call it FACTS. Feel bad for Pats fans, but hey, at least Boston’s got surviving Red Sox dreams, right?🤣🔮