Horseshoe Huddle Roundtable: Colts vs. Patriots | Week 15 | Predictions & Picks
You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger matchup this season for the Indianapolis Colts than Saturday's primetime showdown against the red-hot New England Patriots and longtime foe Bill Belichick.
The Colts are pretty hot as of late in their own right, having won six of their last eight games to put themselves right back in the thick of the AFC playoff picture.
Now, Week 15 is the ultimate test for Frank Reich and his charges, as a win puts the Colts in the driver's seat for a Wild Card spot in the AFC, while a loss muddies the waters just a bit further with three weeks remaining.
Can Indianapolis and star running back Jonathan Taylor run the football at a good clip against a stout New England defense? Can the Colts stop the run and force Mac Jones to beat Matt Eberflus's defense? Who steps up in the biggest of moments Saturday and makes the game-deciding play?
Horseshoe Huddle's Zach Hicks, Andrew Moore, Jake Arthur and Josh Carney all took a shot at predicting the outcome of the Week 13 matchup between the Colts and Texans.
Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) (8-3): The Colts are gearing up for their biggest game of the season. While the Colts have been playing well of late, the Patriots are arguably the hottest team in the league. The Colts will have to lean on Jonathan Taylor in order to beat this stout Patriots’ secondary. On the other side, the Colts’ defense needs to continue their trend of forcing turnovers early and often. I'm surprisingly optimistic about this game.
Pick: Colts 24, Patriots 23
Andrew Moore (@AndrewMooreSI) (10-1): The Colts are coming off of a much needed bye week as they prep for the stretch run. The Patriots come in as the top seed in the AFC and are looking to continue their winning streak over Indy. It's no secret the Patriots and Bill Belichick will try to take Jonathan Taylor out of the game and make the Colts find success elsewhere. But the Patriots haven't faced a running back or offensive line as talented as Taylor and the Colts during their current winning streak. Overall I think it will come down to Carson Wentz making plays to Michael Pittman Jr. at the end for this team to get the victory . Add in a couple mistakes by Mac Jones and this Colts defense could capitalize as well. A playoff atmosphere is expected at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday night, and I sense the Colts are treating it as such.
Pick: Colts 27, Patriots 24
Jake Arthur (@JakeArthurNFL): (8-2): N/A
Pick: N/A
Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) (9-2): This is the type of matchup the schedule makers are so proud of now that we've arrived in Week 15. The Colts and the Patriots' matchup Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium features two red-hot teams that historically don't like each other in a game with plenty of AFC playoff picture implications on the line. Fortunately, the Colts appear to be just a bit healthier heading into Saturday's matchup, which should prove to be the difference. Jonathan Taylor and the Colts remain dominant on the ground, and Matt Eberflus's defense schemes up just enough confusion and pressure to give rookie quarterback Mac Jones fits.
Pick: Colts 24, Patriots 20
Have thoughts on the predictions from Horseshoe Huddle's experts regarding Colts-Patriots? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
Follow Josh on Twitter @ByJoshCarney.
