As mentioned earlier, the Patriots are led by their star quarterback Tom Brady. He has been magnificent in his return to the field after missing all of last season due to injury. In just 8 games, Brady has thrown for over 2,300 yards and 16 touchdown passes. He is the undisputed leader of this team and will be relied upon heavily for New England to win this game. Brady is really starting to look comfortable again in the pocket and is connecting with Randy Moss for big plays down the field. In fact, statistically New England is one of the top offenses in the NFL. They rank 2nd in total yards, 3rd in scoring, and 2nd in points per game. They are even more dangerous now that Laurence Maroney has emerged as the go to back that he was at the start of his career. Over the last three games, the Pats have averaged 136 yards per game on the ground. Brady has weapons all over the field and it will be interesting to see what Indianapolis tries defensively to stop this potent attack.

Much like New England, the Indianapolis Colts will go as far as their perennial Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning will take them. Manning has led the Colts to a perfect 8-0 start, throwing for more than 2,500 yards and 16 touchdowns. Indy has the number one passing offense in the NFL, averaging 315 yards per game. What’s amazing about that statistic is that Peyton Manning is working with a lot of new faces in the passing game. Marvin Harrison is retired and his replacement, Anthony Gonzalez is out for the year with a knee injury. However, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie have stepped in nicely to complement Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark. However, if there is one weakness to this Indianapolis team it is the rushing attack. They are averaging just 85.4 yards a game on the ground which makes them 28th in the league. Rookie Donald Brown was starting to emerge as a primary running back but has suffered an injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday Night’s game.

For all the attention the offenses get, it must be mentioned just how well these two teams’ defenses have played in 2009. The Colts are #1 in the league in points allowed and only give up 303 total yards per game which is 8th best in the NFL. Their run defense has been average but will have to stop Laurence Maroney with seven guys in the box. If they have to commit an eighth defender to the stop the run, that leaves one less guy in coverage to stop Brady and company. Indy’s ability to stop the run could be a huge factor in this ball game.

New England has also played outstanding defense this season as they are right behind Indianapolis at #1 in the league in points allowed. Their secondary has been outstanding giving up an average of just 179.4 yards a game through the air. New England loves to blitz from all over the field and they will do their best to not allow Peyton Manning to have time in the pocket to find open receivers. They have the defensive backs to play man coverage when necessary but it will be interesting to see how the match up against the receivers of Indianapolis. If the Patriots can disrupt the rhythm of Peyton Manning by applying pressure and leaving their corners one on one, they have a real chance to upset the Colts. However, that is a tall order to ask of any defense.

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