Why They Win: How New England Patriots Earn a 'Gewinnen' vs. Indianapolis Colts

So many victorious norms have fallen for the New England Patriots in the not-so-roaring 20s.

They'll put one of the linger triumphs on the line on Sunday morning when they face the Indianapolis Colts in the Frankfurt finale of the NFL's 2023 international slate. New England is one of five teams to hold a perfect 3-0 record away from American soil and will play in their first international game since 2017 when they crushed the Houston Texans in Mexico City.

Sunday's showcase will be a reboot of the Patriots-Colts rivalry, which will be staged for the third consecutive season. New England took last year's meeting by a 26-3 final but the Colts have something bigger to play for this time around: a 27-13 win in Carolina last week not only ended a three-game losing streak but also thrust them back into the outskirts of the AFC Wild Card picture, where the 5th and 15th-place teams are separated by two games.

What: Indianapolis Colts (4-5) vs. New England Patriots (2-7)
Where: Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, GER
When: Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network
Who's Won: New England leads series 53-30 (last: 26-3, 11/2022)
Who's Favored: IND -2

Dashing Colts

Sunday's game features an intriguing quarterback matchup: anyone remotely associated with Patriots football knows that Mac Jones has plenty to prove while Gardner Minshew has a de facto combine for the Colts' professional brethren as he steps in for Anthony Richardson over the rest of the season. Minshew has been efficient enough (eight touchdown passes, 65.1 total QB rating over five starts) but a combination of a running game trying to find a new identity and a gang of youngsters trying to establish themselves as reliable targets has led to some discombobulation: the average Colts drive last a mere 2:26, the fourth-quickest in football. That'll give Jones a chance to show what he's got to a new audience.

Do It For Him

Is this Bill Belichick's last stand? It depends on who you ask, but there is legitimate concern that Belichick has spent his final domestic days as the Patriots' head coach. Falling to a Miami group that's clearly more talented is one thing. Dropping a home game to the perenially disappointing Washington Commanders is a whole other. If he drops a high-profile game against a mediocre Indianapolis group, this could be the final straw. The Patriots have failed to come through at other points in the season, such as a de facto homecoming game in Las Vegas against future fallen colleague Josh McDaniels. This could be one final stand for the Belichick era and what lingering faith could manifest itself in a nationally televised bout.

Don't Rush It

The Colts' run game has been one the most curious in the NFL this season: Jonathan Taylor made his headlines over the offseason, missed the opening stages and has struggled to regain his All-Pro form. Zack Moss has been more than serviceable but the spotlight is going to get even brighter in a game the Colts need to have if they want to stay in the AFC playoff chase and he's not used to primary duties. If the Patriots have done one thing right this season it's been bottling up opposing run games, allowing just 3.5 an attempt. On the other hand, the Colts' defense has been equally porous, especially in the red zone: they're 24th in defensive touchdown percentage inside their 20 and have allowed 15 scores on the ground, second-worst in the league entering Week 10 action.