New England Patriots (8-3) vs. Indianapolis Colts (0-11)
Sunday, December 4th, 2011 | 1:00 PM ET
TV: CBS | Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub
Colts Coverage: Stampede Blue
When most NFL fans looked at their 2011 schedules in April, they likely circled today's game against the Indianapolis Colts as one of the best games of the year. Unfortunately, the Patriots and Colts have gone in opposite directions this year, with the Patriots once again being atop the AFC East and the Colts being 0-11 at the bottom of the barrel in the NFL (already eliminated from playoff contention) due to a (likely) season ending neck injury to Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
Of course, the Colts have some players from the rivalry of years past, such as defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis that will make the contest intriguing. However, the Colts defense, as a whole, has been atrocious and their offense, which will be led by quarterback Dan Orlovsky has been even worse.
In addition, the Colts' defensive scheme, the Tampa 2, is exactly the type of defense that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady picks apart the best. I'm expecting a complete and total victory from the Patriots today, but lets not forget, there's a reason they play these games. This is the NFL, and this is a Colts team that nearly beat the Steelers earlier in the year, a Steelers squad that beat down on the Patriots just a month ago.
In addition, while the media and fans can consider this game a mismatch, we all know not a single player on the Patriots roster will have that on their minds.
Greg's Prediction: Patriots 38 Colts 10