Colvin On Patriots-Colts: Teams Very Similar, But 'Could Be A Lopsided Victory'
BOSTON (CBS) - Former Patriots linebacker and Indianapolis native Rosevelt Colvin called 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich show Friday morning to preview Sunday night's Patriots-Colts matchup.
While Andrew Luck is prone to the big interception or two, Colvin said the people of Indy are just "elated" to have gone from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck (minus that one year in between from Dan Orlovsky, of course).
The Colts possess one of, if not the best offense in the league, and they play really well at home. On offense Indianapolis obviously has Luck, but also a handful of other playmakers that can give any defense problems.
Colvin talked about how the Patriots defense can defend Indy.
"The big luxury the Patriots have this year on defense is they have legitimately three to four, maybe five guys that can line up one-on-one in man coverage against a team. That was the big difference and the reason why they were able to dominate the Broncos the way they did," said Colvin. "When it comes to the Colts I don't think T.Y. Hilton is at that level yet. He's a dangerous receiver that can run deep routes as well as intermediate routes."
The Patriots have to be careful when Luck gets out of the pocket and starts improvising, because that's when big plays can happen. New England will have to play sound, fundamental and assignment football to limit the Colts' weapons.
"Andrew Luck has that Ben Roethlisberger factor, where guys can get to him but he's so big and strong that he can extend plays. And when he extends plays T.Y. Hilton runs that QB scramble kind of route, where he breaks off that 10-yard in cut and goes deep. Andrew has the ability to throw the ball deep to him. With Hilton, Reggie Wayne being that third down possession receiver and those two tight ends, the Colts are a fantasy football dream."
Colvin adds that the Colts have really feasted on bad teams (Jacksonville, Tennessee) and have struggled against good teams (Broncos, Eagles, Steelers).
"They've blown out some teams, but the ones they've blown out have been really bad football teams," said Colvin. "[Patriots] do have a shot to score at will. I could see it being a lopsided victory."
Colvin then went into great detail about how similar the two teams are.
"Both teams have premier quarterbacks. Both teams have two tight ends that can catch the ball. Both offensive lines have dealt with injuries. Both teams are lacking their top pass rushers. But when it comes to the secondary, I just don't think the Colts' can match up with New England's receivers person-to-person. I don't think the Colts' secondary is on par with the Patriots, but they have guys back there that can make some plays."
Colvin concluded his takes with a prediction.
"If the Patriots defense can step up and make their offense one dimensional, similar to what they did against the Broncos, they shouldn't have a problem taking care of business this weekend."
Listen below for the full interview!
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