Patriots vs. Colts: What We Learned From New England's 59-24 Victory Over Indianapolis

In the first ever meeting between Tom Brady and Andrew Luck, it couldn't have been more lopsided.

This was probably New England's first complete game of the season, as they annihilated Indianapolis 59-24, as they forced four turnovers while racking up 446 yards of total offense.

Before we move into the recap of the game, I'd like to say just one thing: I guess Andrew Luck is following in the footsteps of Peyton Manning, as he throw three interceptions, with two of those being pick sixes.

With that being said, let's take a look at what we learned from New England's 59-24 victory over Indianapolis.

1. Aqib Talib is the real deal

I hate to be like this and I hate to take credit but I did predict this in my "bold predictions" article for this week:

"Aqib Talib will record one interception as his first game as a Patriot This is as bold as it's going to get simply because we have no idea how much Aqib Talib will play in his Patriots debut."

And wouldn't you know? I was correct.

In Talib's debut as a Patriot, he finished with one interception, which was returned for a 59 yard touchdown, as well as recording seven tackles.

I think the Patriots finally have an play-maker in their secondary as well as a true No. 1 cornerback.

2. Andrew Luck is just a rookie

Don't get me wrong, Andrew Luck is going to be one of the premier quarterbacks that the NFL has to offer, but he's still just a rookie and he still has so much to learn—and his inexperience against Bill Belichick and the Patriots really became a factor Sunday afternoon.

Luck completed just 27 of his 50 passes for 334 yards but was intercepted three times, with two of those being returned for touchdowns, as well as being stripped sacked. Luck finished with a pitiful 63.3 quarterback rating.

The future is certainly bright for Luck and the Colts, as this was just a minor speed bump in Luck's very young NFL career.

3. Rob Gronkowski is the NFL's top tight end

How about this for a resume? Rob Gronkowski became the first tight end in NFL history to record three consecutive 10 touchdown reception seasons—you can't get much better than that.

Gronk finished Week 11's game with seven receptions for a whopping 137 yards and two scores.

I think it's safe to say that Gronkowski is back-on-track to where he left off from last season.

4. Julian Edelman is an amazing football player

Julian Edelman might not be a great wide receiver, a great returner or a great defensive back—but he's a great football player. He can do it all.

Edelman finished Sunday's game with 222 total yards, including two touchdown receptions.

Edelman sparked New England in not only the passing game but in special teams as he ran back a dazzling 68-yard punt return early in the second quarter.

All I have to say is that the Patriots need to involve Edelman as much as possible—he's simply a play-maker.

5. New England's offense was efficient as they've been all season

New England did not turn the ball over once all game and out of their nine offensive possessions, six of those resulted in points.

The Patriots punted the ball only twice all game and simply controlled the game as they finished with 32:55 minutes for time of possession.

6. Is Tom Brady the front-runner for Most Valuable Player?

Tom Brady yet again had a phenomenal showing for the Patriots.

Brady completed 24 of his 35 passes for an impressive 331 yards and three touchdowns while finishing with a 127.2 quarterback rating.

Brady now has 21 touchdowns on the season compared to just three interceptions.

How valuable is Brady to the Patriots? I'd say he's more valuable to his team more than anyone else across the NFL.

If the season were to end today, the MVP would have to be either Peyton Manning or Tom Brady—fact not opinion.

7. Let's be honest: The Colts aren't a great football team

We can't get too high off of this game.

Yes, the Patriots absolutely destroyed the Indianapolis Colts—but they're not an elite team. They are far from it.

The Colts are young across the field and haven't really had all that tough of a schedule. In fact, the Colts have beaten just two teams with winning records this season.

So all in all, the Patriots did what they were supposed to do: Beat up on an inferior opponent.

With the victory, the Patriots improve to 7-3 on the season and sit at first place in the AFC East.

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