Colts vs. Patriots Recap

I guess I'm in the minority because I just didn't see the game that everybody else apparently saw yesterday. You would think from listening to radio guys like Colin Cow(shit for brains)herd that the Patriots manhandled the Colts up and down the field. All these so-called football experts are already handing the Lombardi Trophy to Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft. I'm sorry, but I just don't think the Patriots are that much better than the Colts.

If there is one thing I learned from watching Sunday's match-up it was that we can expect a totally different game in January when these teams meet again in the AFC Championship game.

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Here are 5 reasons why I don't think we will see the same type of game in the January rematch:

1) The Weather: Massachusetts in January is nothing like the climate controlled RCA Dome. But remember, the weather affects both teams. History has shown us over the years that the deep ball isn't as easy to throw and catch when you are trying to do it outside in the wind and the cold. I suspect that both teams' passing attacks will look quite different in round 2. Lets not forget that the Patriots had trouble moving the ball against the Colts in yesterday's game until Tom Brady discovered he could beat the Colts' DBs deep. It won't be as easy to go deep in January. I expect the 2nd game to be much more of a defensive slugfest. I am going to have to give the Patriots the edge on this one in the 2nd game because I think their defense is better equipped to play in bad weather.

2) Officiating: Even a true blue Colts fan knows the Patriots were the victims of some pretty bad pass interference calls in yesterday's game. And Colts fans know what bad officiating in a Colts/Patriots game looks like, believe me. Seriously though, the officiating crew will not be as bad in January. You can't tell me that the officials didn't cost the Pats some points yesterday. I don't think either team will gain an advantage from good officiating. Let's call this one even.

3) Injuries: The Colts played the game yesterday without 4 key starters. Marvin Harrison, Tony Ugoh, Tyjuan Hagler, and Freddie Keiaho were all out. Colts slot receiver Anthony Gonzalez also dislocated his thumb on the Colts first offensive play and was unable to finish the game. You might remember that Gonzalez is the guy who dropped the touchdown pass. It turns out he was playing with a dislocated thumb, so I guess I probably owe him an apology. If you don't think those key injuries affected how the Colts played then you are as dumb as Colin Cowheard. How do you think the Pats would have done if they had to play without Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Matt Light, Mike Vrabel, and Tedy Bruschi? You get my point. If the Colts enter the rematch with all of their key players healthy then I think I would have to give them a slight edge in this department.

4) Coaching: I guarantee you that Bill Belichick will have a better game plan for attacking the Colts defense next time. I actually think the Patriots were caught off guard this time with how well the Colts defense played. I guarantee you that Belichick won't make the same mistake again. In fact, I'm pretty sure the Pats coaching staff figured out the Colts defensive weakness with somewhere around 9:00 minutes left to play in yesterday's game. I just don't think the Colts' coaching staff is in the same league as the Patriots' staff. So I am fairly confidant the Colts will be totally surprised by whatever game plan the Pats come up with for the rematch. The Pats will probably be up by 2 touchdowns before Tony Dungy knows what hit him. I give this category emphatically to the Pats.

5) Conditioning: Both teams looked tired and slow at times in yesterday's game. But, the Colts defense looked absolutely drained in the 4th quarter. I don't think Tony Dungy will let that happen again. Unfortunately for the Colts, I think the cold weather in Foxborough will affect their conditioning much more than it will affect the Patriots. I give the edge here to the Patriots because of their depth. The Colts just don't have the same quality of back-ups as the Patriots do.

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OK. So, if you take a close look at my 5 key points that I listed above I think you will see that I think the Pats will probably win the rematch in January. But, the wildcard will be injuries. If the Colts enter the game with everybody healthy then I think the rematch could be really interesting. I definitely think that the Colts need a healthy Tony Ugoh and Marvin Harrison to have any chance. Unfortunately, Ugoh and Harrison are both suffering from the kind of injuries that tend to linger for a long time.

My prediction for the January rematch if the Colts aren't healthy: Patriots 21 Colts 10

My prediction for the January rematch if the Colts are healthy: Colts 20 Patriots 17