Kickoff: The Patriots host a familiar opponent and old AFC East rival, the Indianapolis Colts today at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots are coming off of a 34-15 loss to the Miami Dolphins last week. The Colts lost 24-6 to the Lions last week at home. Both teams have a much needed bye week next week.

Here are four keys to today’s game for the Patriots.

1st Down: Pressure Richardson: The Patriots need to get after Colts starting quarterback Anthony Richardson. They must mix their pressures and bring zone and man pressures. The Colts are 26th in the NFL at handling pressure. Get after the second year quarterback and force him to hold the ball.

2nd Down: Run the ball inside: The Colts front seven is 26th in the NFL against inside running plays. The Patriots need to make a concerted effort today to run the ball inside the tackles. Setting the tone early with the running game will be important today. Run A gap, B gap plays early and look to wear them down. 

3rd Down: Don’t give up big plays in the passing game: The Patriots secondary has struggled in this area. New England is 29th in the league when it comes to giving up big plays. It was a major problem last week. The Colts can stretch the field with Michael Pittman, Josh Sweat and the rest of their receiving corp. With Anthony Richardson possessing elite arm talent, look for the Colts to push the ball down the field early and often. 

4th Down: Maye must be patient in the passing game: The Colts secondary has done a good job of taking away the vertical passing game this season. If the Patriots are going to throw with any success today, it must be in the three step game and the intermediate passing game. Shot plays will be few and far in between. 

Extra Point: The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts will meet for the fourth-straight season in 2024. Last season, the Patriots hosted Indianapolis in the team’s first home International Series Game in Frankfurt, Germany, a 10-6 Colts win on Nov. 12, 2023.

Overall, this week’s game will be the 85th meeting between the two teams. The Patriots lead the series with a 49-30 record in the regular season and a 4-1 record in the postseason.

New England holds a 31-13 overall record against Indianapolis in home games, including 10-2 at Gillette Stadium. 

Courtesy of patriots.com

Final Drive: The Patriots have owned the Colts through the years. Even bad Patriot teams have had success against the Colts. Today’s game is more than winnable. The Patriots have to play clean. Maye cannot turn the ball over and the defense cannot give up big plays in the passing game. If they do those two things and play fundamentally sound in all other areas, they can go into the bye week with a win.