Patriots Defeat Colts, Remain Undefeated

Patriots Defeat Colts, Remain Undefeated

The New England Patriots defeated the Indianapolis Colts 24-20 in the long awaited showdown of unbeatens. The Patriots overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit and a myriad of bogus penalties to upend the defending Super Bowl champs on their home turf.

New England quarterback Tom Brady struggled through the first three quarters but raised his game in crunch time, outplaying Peyton Manning and leading his team to victory. Brady has thrown at least three touchdowns in every game this season, a new NFL record. The loss snapped the Colts 13-game regular season winning streak that dated back to last season.

The Patriots were penalized 10 times for 146 yards, including a ridiculous pass interference call on Ellis Hobbs in the first half that gave the Colts the ball inside the 10-yard line. The Patriots defense held the Colts to a field goal. The Colts took a 13-7 lead into halftime thanks to the legs of Joseph Addai, who broke a short pass play for a 73-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the half.

For the first time this season, the Patriots trailed at halftime. New England had beaten their previous opponents by an average of 25 points per game. The play of Randy Moss was key to the Pats comeback. Moss caught nine balls for 146 yards and a touchdown. In the second half, the defense was able to put pressure on Manning, forcing two fumbles. The Colts were without Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison (knee) and starting left tackle Tony Ugoh (neck).

Brady connected with Kevin Faulk on a 13-yard touchdown pass to give the Patriots the lead with a little over three minutes left. The Patriots improved to 9-0 heading into their bye week. New England is in good position to run the table and finish the season undefeated. In the post-game news conference, Brady downplayed the significance of their chase of history.

“The thing is, we are 9-0 and it doesn’t really matter. It just doesn’t matter. None of this matters until January” said Brady. “I think it was a great step in our preparation. We’ve got seven games to get better.”

This kind of approach is part of what makes Brady the best quarterback in the league. He has his eye on the ultimate prize, winning a championship. I wouldn’t bet against him.

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