Lucky number 6 or will Luck end the Patriots hot streak? New England vs Indianapolis

Many people associate the "Lucky number" phrase with the number 7 or the movies Lucky Number Slevin and Ocean's Seven but did you know that the number 6 is auspicious in matters with love and relationships in Chinese culture? There was also a fragrance for men made by fashion designer Liz Claiborne called Lucky Number Six and the Patriots will be hoping for their sixth consecutive victory when they face off against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts tonight.

Out with the old and in with the new is an expression that billions across the globe know very well but in the National Football League that saying doesn't always ring true. Tom Brady has continued to defy the odds in his career and he has done that more than ever since the defeat to Kansas City back in week 4. He and the Patriots continued their fantastic streak last week when they blew out the Denver Broncos 43-21.

The Broncos are in the eyes of many the best team in the AFC if not in football but with the New England victory last week it caused many to rethink their opinions and once again the win gave Terrific Tom some more pulling power in the Brady-Manning debate as he extended his winning record over his long term record to 11-5. After trailing a close first quarter 7-3 the Patriots battled back to completely smash Denver in the second quarter scoring 24 consecutive points.

From then on out the Patriots were in cruise control with Brady, making his 200th career start with the win giving him his 155th win (the most of any QB ever), completing 33 of his 55 attempted passes with Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski hauling in 9 receptions each for a combined 194 yards. Those two were Brady's main targets as the Patriots offense continues to up the gears week by week; Gronk was the standout player though as he decimated the Broncos defense and made one of the most spectacular catches of the season.

Now the Patriots walk in to Lucas Oil Stadium tonight to take on the epitome of "the new" type of NFL quarterback in the shape of Andrew Luck and his Indianapolis Colts with huge playoff implications. With seedings, home field advantage and a potential bye week at stake on the line it makes tonight's game an intriguing contest as with New England at 7-2 and the Colts at 6-3 a win for either team would put them in prime position for one of the two byes on offer going in to the postseason.

With both teams coming off a bye week giving them an extra weeks preparation ahead of tonight's crucial game you can expect it to be a fantastic affair. The Luck led Colts have been high flying this season. After starting the season 0-2 the Colts went on a five game winning streak of their own before losing a crazy game to Pittsburgh 51-34 on the road but bounced back at MetLife Stadium when they convincingly defeated the Giants 40-24.

Since Luck came in to the league the Colts are 17-4 at home including their amazing comeback against the Chiefs in the wildcard round of last seasons playoffs. Tom Brady and co are use to overcoming obstacles and Indianapolis are slight favourites ahead of tonight's matchup in what many are anticipating to be a close one. In the two previous encounters between Brady and Luck the Patriots have blown out the Colts 43-22 in last years playoff game and 59-24 in Luck's rookie season back in 2012.

Both of these teams have come a long way since last years playoff game and both are very improved in various departments which is what makes, in my opinion, tonight one of the games of the season especially with all that is at stake. If the Patriots get the victory tonight it'll give them a huge boost in terms of going on to clinch the 1st seed as well as home field advantage for the postseason which is what they will want to keep away from Denver so that they can guarantee that the road to Super Bowl 49 goes through Gillette Stadium.

The Patriots and Broncos had an arms race this past offseason to improve their rosters in hope of ensuring a trip to Arizona next February but the Colts are the dark horses in the conference especially as Andrew Luck is the best young quarterback we have ever seen just because of the impact he has had on the NFL in his first 2 and a half years and the talent he has displayed. When the Colts last faced New England they had no running game with only Donald Brown, now a Charger, playing and lacked any offensive weapons due to injuries.

Since then Colts legend Reggie Wayne has returned to action, TY Hilton has broken out to improve his game and become an established wideout in the league who provides a down field threat along with tight end Dwayne Allen who provides a nice balance to Luck's friend from Stanford Coby Fleener. Add that with Hakeem Nicks, who despite not having a good year so far is a good player, along with rookie receiver Donte Moncrief and a one to punch of Bradshaw and Richardson in the backfield and it is clear to see why this Colts offense is on pace to potentially break records in 2014.

With that being said they are facing a Patriots defense tonight which under the guidance of defensive mastermind Bill Belichick has the potential to stop any offense in the league and did stop what many feels to be the best last week when they made Peyton Manning's Broncos look ordinary. Despite having Chandler Jones absent due to injury the brilliance of New England's secondary has given the front seven opportunities to be creative in getting to the quarterback and stopping the run which has helped the likes of Jamie Collins, Hightower and Rob Ninkovich as we saw last week with the latter's interception against Peyton.

With Revis and Browner playing man coverage on the outside they can stop near enough any receivers in the league. Revis' skill set is amazing for a corner and with one of the best safeties in the league in the form of Devin McCourty just behind him it allows for not only Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia to be creative with defensive play-calling but it also benefits the strengths of the two corners as it allows them to be aggressive. This also allows Patrick Chung and, when he gets on the field, Kyle Arrington to be effective in the secondary and break up plays.

When I previewed the Patriots and Broncos game I said it would come down to who wins the battle between the Denver offense vs the Pats D. With the latter winning it ensured that New England held on to their healthy lead which gave their offense the opportunities they needed to score more points to finish their opponent off and I would say that the same applies tonight if not more with the Pats being on the road. The offense will have to deal with crowd noise etc and while we know Tom Brady is one of the best QB's of all-time in road games you need your defense to come up big and make stops in order to take some of the pressure off of your offense as well as give it opportunities.

If this happens I expect the Patriots to have the tools to defeat the Colts. Indianapolis' defense played lights out during their 5 game winning streak but were brought back down to earth against the Steelers after their star cornerback Vontae Davis was knocked out the game. Davis is one of the better players in the league at the corner position but depsite is talents this Colts defense usually struggles against tight ends and when you considering that the Patriots have the best tight end in the league in Rob Gronkowski, 8 touchdowns this season, you would say that the Patriots have a critical advantage which could make the difference needed in a game that is anticipated to be so close.

Offensively you can expect the Patriots to spread the ball round like they've done in the past 5 games to Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, Shane Vereen, Julian Edeleman and even Tim Wright who I think will be used a lot more tonight considering the Colt's vulnerability to tight ends. In the big moments though it will be Gronk who is thrown to and if the Colts don't come up with a game plan to try and limit him especially in the red zone then I think the Patriots will pick off any weaknesses this Indie D has and will punish them.

One thing's for sure and that is that tonight's matchup is a mouthwatering encounter with both QB's at the top of their respective games. Tom Brady has rediscovered his hall of fame form following a run of 5 games which has seen him throw 18 touchdowns to just one interception with a completion percentage of over 70% meaning he is now 5th with 22 touchdowns on the year to just 3 interceptions (tied with Aaaron Rodgers for the lowest among starters). The Patriots winning run also means that Brady now has a passer rating of 103.5 which also ranks 5th. His opposite number Luck ranks 2nd in touchdowns with 26 TD's and leads in terms of passing yardage with 3,085 yards. Despite the fact that Luck thrown more passes than other QB in the league it is a testament to his abilities that he has managed to keep his completion percentage at 63.6%

So with everything being weighed up now we just have to wait a few hours to see who wins when the best of the old guard takes on the best of the new guard in the third dual between Tom Brady's Patriots and Andrew Luck's Colts. A Patriots win means they will take control of the AFC following Denver's defeat to St. Louis earlier on today which is exactly what they need as they have two tough tests against the Lions and Packers coming up. New England would be a game ahead of the Broncos and two games ahead of the Colts with the head to head over both so tonight's game is huge but will their Luck run out when they go in to the Dome tonight?

Historically the Patriots are 9-2 in their last eleven post-bye games. Bill Belichick with an extra week of preparation is a recipe for disaster for any opposing team as he will have planned everything to the exact final details along with the fact that quarterback Tom Brady's record when playing inside a dome is 10-2 record, 26 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions I will go with a New England victory.

Prediction: Patriots 35-27 Colts

Bold Prediction: With the Colts down by a point 28-27 Andrew Luck looks to seal off a memorable 4th quarter comeback victory but a tipped play by Jamie Collins give Brandon Browner a 'lucky' pick 6 to gain some personal redemption after TY Hilton embarrassed him when the Colts faced the Seahawks. The return goes all the way in to the Colts end zone to put the Pats up by 8 and seal the game for New England as the Colts have just 10 seconds remaining and no timeouts!

Playoffs: Saturday Wild Card picks

The NFL playoffs are set to begin in a few hours and I am back after some time to share my predictions with you all. Tonight sees the Colts host the Chiefs and the Eagles entertain the Saints with Sunday's lineup including the Chargers vs Bengals and a high profile matchup in the last game of the weekend when the 49ers travel to take on the Packers.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts

Both teams finished the season 11-5 and a week ago I had all my predictions set for this matchup including this one. After finally finding some time to blog and grabbing a decent nights rest yesterday I had a dream and for some reason it was about the Colts losing this game although for some reason the Chiefs QB had long hair and a weird beard so maybe Alex Smith will wear a wig tonight?

On paper this is a tough one to call because the Chiefs have been questioned a lot this year despite starting the season 9-0. At that point I told a very good friend of mine they would lose at least 4 games before the regular season ended and as we all know they have lost 5 of their last 7 including their last two; the defeat to the Chargers did see them rest their key players though. Andy Reid has revitalised the Chiefs by taking them to the postseason with the team looking to secure their first victory in the playoffs since Joe Montana was the quarterback which was now two decades ago yes back in 1994!

It may not have been as long as that since the Colts last won a playoff game but the last time they did win in the postseason they were also being led by a great quarterback; none other than Peyton Manning. They haven't won a playoff game since the 2009 season which ended in Super Bowl defeat to the New Orleans Saints. 2010 saw them lose to the Jets and 2010 was an off year for Indianapolis due to Manning's season ending shoulder injury but they got lucky with timing and drafted Andrew Luck who took them back to the postseason in his rookie year as well as helped guide the Colts to their first division title since Manning left this season.

Quarterback Andrew Luck is something special and despite losing star receiver Reggie Wayne he has had a brilliant second season throwing 23 touchdowns again but has reduced his interceptions from 18 in 2012 to just 9 this year. The Colts turnovers are always very low and so are the Chiefs which means any turnovers tonight will pretty much count as double especially in a playoff game. The more I write the more I want to plummet for the Colts but I just feel that after they defeated the Chiefs 23-7 on the road a couple of weeks ago it all seems too simple to go for them and in the playoffs nothing is ever simple or as it seems.

The Chiefs will get back to winning ways tonight for the following three reasons: 1. Jamaal Charles. 2. A defense that ranks 5th in the league and 3. Due to the fact that they won't turn it over 4 times again like they did when they played the Colts last time. Jamaal Charles will get more touches tonight than in the last encounter; he has 12 rushing touchdowns and 9 receiving ones. Alex Smith has 23 touchdowns and just 7 picks to his name and with his trusty sidekicks Charles and Dwayne Bowe the Chiefs will progress to the divisional round next week albeit in a close one.

Prediction: Colts 25-27 Chiefs


New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles

The 11-5 Saints are back in the playoffs thanks to head coach Sean Payton working his magic. New Orleans have been effective on both sides of the ball and despite missing out on the NFC South title to the Panthers it may come as a blessing in disguise as they could build momentum with a win tonight to take them deep in to the postseason. The Eagles finished 10-6 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys last week in the winner takes all match for the NFC East.

Both teams have advantages at certain positions but the quarterback matchup will be key tonight when Drew Brees goes up against the red hot Nick Foles. Foles started 13 of the Eagles' 16 games throwing a ridiculous 27 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions but will the pressure of the playoffs be too much for the young QB? His opposite number Brees finished the regular season ranked second in the league in both touchdown passes, 39, and passing yards with 5,162 so with him going up against NFL's worst ranked defense in passing yardage per game this could prove to be problematic for Philadelphia.

Despite New Orleans not being the best road team at times I feel like the Eagles are poised to be give their fans another let down. With all due respect to Chip Kelly he has been a breath of fresh air to the league and his fast pace offense will give Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan problems especially when you consider that Philadelphia have one of the best running backs in the league in the shape of LeSean McCoy.

I feel that despite the pros for an Eagles win that going with them is more of a heart over head decision. When you break it down the Saints should win this one despite the fact that they have their leading rusher out Pierre Thomas. Darren Sproles will see more of the ball and can get out of the backfield to make a play and tight end Jimmy Graham is a matchup nightmare; Graham finished the season ranked first in the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns. The Saints receiving core will give the Eagles secondary problems and New Orleans also have the second-ranked pass defense in the league. they only allow 194.1 yards passing per game in 2013 and in three of their last four game they have manage to keep the opposition for under 200 yards passing so this will limit Foles' aerial attack and plus they have Keenan Lewis at corner who could give Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson some problems.

Prediction: Saints 34-27 Eagles

Patriots move to 4-0; on to the next one!

Easy work on Sunday night!

Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a fantastic 30-23 road victory against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. It ensured that the Pats moved on to 4-0 for the third time in Bill Belichick's tenure and it was the head coach's 209th win which moved him to joint 5th all-time with Chuck Noel. It was a back to the future performance for Tom Brady who just seems to keep on getting better with age even despite being surrounded by a cast of rookie receivers. The future hall of fame quarterback is pulling off a great achievement with this receiving core and he is helping turn these players in to legitimate NFL wideouts so early on in their careers; Brady finished Sunday night's game with a season high of 316 passing yards completing 20 out of 31 passes.

Not for the first time this season we saw the Patriots defense come up big with Aqib Talib being the stand out performer versus Atlanta as he hauled in an interception early on as well as the providing the game-sealing defensive breakup in the end zone to stop the Falcons late comeback attempt. Unfortunately Vince Wilfork suffered a season ending injury when he tore his achilles on Sunday night which has come as a massive blow for this Patriots team. The franchise has the 'next man up' approach but he will be a big miss. Thankfully for New England its entire defense has been contributing so far this season which has been a big factor in this four game winning streak; they are tied for 6th in forced fumbles recovering 3 out of 5 and are tied for 10th in interceptions with five picks. This defense is for real and despite Wilfork's absence Belichick will find a way to make things work.

Tom Brady has won 140 games to just 39 losses which is outstanding. He has 45,820 passing yards and a fantastic touchdown to interception ratio of 341-125. With this limited offense people dared to doubt the Golden Boy but he has built up a good rapport with the likes of Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins as well as utilised Julian Edelman and even connected with Mike Mulligan for a touchdown on Sunday night. The running game has looked good with a well-run combined attack which saw Blount rush for 64 yards and a score, Ridley get 53 yards as well as Bolden chip in with 17 from 6 carries.

The offense will get stronger when Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola return from injury; two valuable weapons who Brady can rely on and will help take this team to another level. Tom Brady is working miracles at the moment I mean could Peyton Manning, Drew Brees or Alex Smith make things work with this receiving core? No. The Patriots are a Super Bowl contender if they have a healthy roster heading in to the playoffs and after starting the season 4-0 they’re on course for an impressive regular season.

Season Prediction: With the way things currently stand the next chapter of Brady and Manning could be on the cards in a potential mouth-watering AFC Championship game. Picture a Star Wars scenario with Wes Welker as Anakin Skywalker and he has left to join Emperor Peyton Manning on the dark side. Brady, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his young receivers, they can represent Luke Skywalker, will go on the road to Mile High in a high stakes affair with the winner going to New York to play in Super Bowl XLVIII. Regular season: 13-3

who would prevail?

Super Bowl 47

We are just hours away from Super Bowl 47 which pits the Baltimore Ravens up against the San Francisco 49ers as the two battle it out with the winner claiming the Vince Lombardi trophy.

This game has a lot of stories which include Ray Lewis playing his last ever game in the NFL as one of the greatest linebackers to play the game calls time on his long career hoping to go out on the ultimate high. The Ravens are appearing in their second Super Bowl with the first coming back in 2001 when Baltimore blew out in the Giants in a 34-7 win with Ray Lewis grabbing the Super Bowl MVP award on a memorable day for Baltimore. Also spare a thought for Baltimore wide receiver Torrey Smith who lost his brother early on in the season so he will be pumped up ahead of tonight's game.

Now you may have heard that the Ravens and 49ers head coaches are brothers so tonight's game is being dubbed as the "Harbaugh Bowl" as John and Jim go head to head in what will be a fascinating encounter as two of the league's best and brightest head coaches battle it out on the biggest stage of them all.

Now the loser will never near the end of it from their fellow sibling despite whatever may be said after the game in terms of modesty from the winning and losing head coach but it is worth noting that the San Francisco 49ers have never lost a Super Bowl with the team winning all five of the Super Bowl's that they have appeared in. Their last appearance in the big game though was 1994 so if has been a long wait for the franchise to reach the heights that use to come oh so natural to them back in the days of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.

Keys:

With any big game there are always going to be key points that can determine or change the outcome of the match. Let's look at what I think are the key things to look out for tonight ranked in order of importance:

1. Defenses: Both of these teams have great defenses and as they say defence wins championships. The 49ers possess every sort of quality on this side of the ball. They have the ability to pass rush, great man coverage options and their secondary is second to none. From linebackers Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith to the super impressive Justin Smith to the likes of Carlos Rodgers and Dashon Goldson in the secondary all of these guys can make a game changing play and will feel like they deserve a Super Bowl ring. You bank on the 49ers forcing a turnover at some point tonight and the luxury of having a defense like this will take a lot of pressure off of the offense knowing that they can get it done on both sides of the ball.

As for the Ravens well they have been written off all year but a resurgent Ray Lewis has led Baltimore strongly as always and this time he has inspired as well as guided Baltimore back to the Super Bowl. The Ravens will do their utmost to try and make sure that Ray Lewis bows out of the sport in the greatest possible way. If they are to pull off yet another upset then this defense will need to keep the 49ers versatile offense in check so the likes of Ngata, Suggs and Lewis will have to muster up one more big performance to get the win. In the secondary they have the great Ed Reed and the hard hitting Bernard Pollard who can both change the game in the blink of an eye meaning that Baltimore's defense does have the talent as well as the experience to rival the Niners incredibly talented defense.

The key factors on defense will be who can come up with the big third down stops, who can force turnovers, most likely the 49ers, and who can be the most efficient in the red zone; most likely the Ravens who's red zone defense has saved them points time and time again during the playoffs.

2. Quarterbacks: Now it sounds obvious considering that the quarterback position has become undoubtedly the most important position on a football team but with Joe Flacco and Colin Kaepernick both getting ready for their first appearance in a Super Bowl and knowing that they'll have the chance to join the greats they will be nervous when stepping out on to the field in New Orleans. This may only be Kaepernick's first season starting as the 49ers QB and he only came in half way through the year but he has torn up many different types of defenses this year so when he goes up against the old Baltimore defense will this young, talented quarterback who has all the intangibles to succeed tear up the Ravens.

Now I would say that is quite possible but Baltimore has been written off throughout the playoffs and so has quaterback Joe Flacco. He has the ability to keep the Ravens in this game no matter how hot the heat gets in Super Bowl 47; we've seen Flacco call himself elite and he is one win away from being just that. During a Ravens playoff run which has seen Flacco knock off a superhuman like rookie and two future hall of fame quarterbacks who were playing some of the best football of their careers Flacco himself has completed 54.8% of his passes for 853 yards, eight touchdowns and zero interceptions, and compiled a 114.7 quarterback rating. Now that Flacco is putting up astronomical numbers especially when you consider the fact that he has thrown no interceptions despite going on the road to Denver and New England he is finally getting some of the recognition he deserves during this fine playoff run.

Now I think that Colin Kaepernick deserves a lot of respect too with him putting in some fine performances during his short time as San Francisco's quarterback. He has took this 49ers football team to the next level and while some people are criticising this young man's ability to throw the football I've seen him make some great plays and veteran like throws too since coming in at quarterback midway through the season. During a huge win over the Packers and a road game which saw them overcome a tough as well as underrated Atlanta Falcons team Kaepernick has completed 63.5% of his passes for 496 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. He didn't throw a pick on the road against Atlanta and helped his team rally back from 17-0 down to 17-14 only for them to go in behind at halftime 24-14. In that second quarter the Niners came up big all over the field and it was clear that Kaepernick was key in engineering the comeback which saw the Niners win the NFC Championship. Both these wins showed off all the qualities he has to offer as on the ground he is also great with this being proven when the young QB put up big numbers against Green Bay in the divisional round when he put up two scores for 181 yards whereas against the Falcons he had only two rushing attempts but in the air he completed 16/21 passing attempts for 233 yards and a score whilst using Frank Gore in the backfield to get it done and get the Niners in to tonight's game.

3. Kickers: Now the position of kicker is often undervalued in the National Football League but in a game like the Super Bowl which has seen so many close encounters tonight's game could come down to one last field goal attempt. Now why this is so key is because both of these teams have had problems with kickers in recent memory. The Ravens had Billy Cundiff to blame for missing out on a shot at overtime and the Super Bowl last season but this year they have rookie Justin Tucker who has excelled in his debut season. The undrafted rookie from Texas kicked 30 of his 33 attempts successfully during the regular season and came up with the game-winning field-goal in overtime on the road at Denver against the Broncos.

Now the 49ers are having some problems with their kicker David Akers being off the boil this year as he only completed 29 out of his 42 kicking attempts in the regular season and missed his 14th field goal of the season against the Falcons in the NFC Championship game which almost proved costly. His dip in form was so alarming to head coach Jim Harbaugh that he added no other than Billy Cundiff to the roster ahead of that game before deciding to stick with Akers.

Now going in to the biggest game of the season the Niners will hope that if Akers is called upon he comes up big whereas the Ravens have full confidence in their young kicker to get the job done.

4. Running backs: Ray Rice and Frank Gore go head to head as both to open up the passing game for their respective quarterback's or come up with the big play that would fulfil their dreams. Gore is a 4 time pro bowler and the 29 year older is appearing in his first Super Bowl. He has racked up 209 yards in the Niners two playoff games with his two scores against the Falcons getting the Niners over the line and in to the Super Bowl. In his 8 years as the 49ers running back Gore is one of the guys on the roster who has helped transform the team and deserves to be representing them tonight and you can expect him to come up big tonight.

Ray Rice is in his 5th year as an NFL running back and over the years as established himself as one of the best. He leads all running backs in yardage with 247 to his name but has played a game more than his opposite number in Frank Gore. Despite coming under some criticism for the way he was carrying the ball against Denver Rice bounced back with an efficient performance in the AFC Championship win over the Patriots as he rushed for 48 yards from 19 carries and for a score. Rice is willing to do the dirty work for this football team but also possesses the ability to come up with a big play and tonight he will need to come up big for the Ravens to have a shot as his success on the ground will be key if Joe Flacco is to succeed himself when the time comes for him to throw the ball.

5. Receivers: Now by ranking receivers at 5th I am by no means saying they are not important as obviously they have to do their fair share of the work when it comes to making a big offensive play and it is very likely that one of these guys on either side will produce a Super Bowl picture perfect moment.

The Ravens and 49ers both have offensive weapons that can change the game for them but let us rank who is the most likely on either side to come up with the "big play":

1. Vernon Davis - The big tight end is one of the best in the game and will be effective as always
2. Torrey Smith - Underrated but has come up big for Baltimore when needed. Expect more tonight.
3. Michael Crabtree - He has become a big time player since Kaepernick become the Niners QB.
4. Anquan Boldin - Caught 2 touchdowns in the Raves AFC title win so could be the difference maker
5. Randy Moss - The self-proclaimed best wide receiver ever gets another shot at a ring tonight.
6. Dennis Pitta - Not the most dynamic tight end in the league but does his job well.

Prediction: This year's Super Bowl could be one of the closest ever and is one of the hardest to predict in recent memory. The term elite is starting to be defined more by the money paid to a quarterback as opposed to Super Bowl wins so I stand by my claims that Joe Flacco is elite following two big wins over Peyton Manning and Tom Brady during this post-season. Flacco will get paid big in the off-season but he is no Eli Manning and as comparable as this playoff run has been for Flacco to Eli Manning's run that saw him win his first Super Bowl I'm predicting that the Ravens fall short tonight.

I'm not saying that Flacco is going to be the one who costs them the game as if he can keep his team in the game then of course they have a chance but Baltimore is coming up against a 49ers team that is tough and physical so they won't be able to bully teams like they did to the Colts, Broncos and Patriots throughout their playoff run. The NFC has many physical teams but the Niners are also heavily talented and although I wrote it off earlier in the season I am predicting Jim Harbaugh and Colin Kaepernick to pull off a feat similar to what Bill Belichick and Tom Brady achieved on February 3rd 2001 which yes is the exact same date as today 12 years later and remember it is also being played in the same place; Louisiana, New Orleans.

Skye's predicted score: Baltimore Ravens 24-28 San Francisco 49ers

Bold prediction 49ers win: With the Niners down by 6, 27-21, Colin Kaepernick engineers a game winning drive deep in the fourth quarter finding Vernon Davis at the back of the end-zone which looks like a reenactment of Joe Montana's pass to Dwight Clark in the NFC Championship game back in 1982 against the Cowboys.

Bold prediction Ravens win: The Ravens lead the Niners 24-21. Kaepernick goes down the field to set up a David Akers field goal which goes wide left to give the Ravens the win.

NFL Week 15 Sunday match preview:

In under 12 hours the remaining week 15 games will kickoff as the NFL regular season approaches its climax. There are some big matchups and I am going to go out on a limb by predicted the results.

New York Giants vs Atlanta Falcons

The Giants at 8-5 have two divisional rivals only a game back on them whereas the Falcons are in the playoffs and look like they'll hold on to the first seed in the NFC ahead of the playoffs. Whatever happens it's safe to say this game will be close and it is hard to predict but it is this time of year when the Giants play their best football. With the protection the offensive line has given Eli Manning this season I fancy the Giants to get the win 27-24.

Denver Broncos vs Baltimore Ravens

Peyton Manning, like his younger brother, has a big game this Sunday as the Denver Broncos take on the Baltimore Ravens with both needing a win as they look to get a bye in to the divisional round of the playoffs. The Patriots and the Texans are the current favourites to get the top two seeds in the AFC though and I think a Baltimore win all but confirms that. A lot of people are starting to write them off but not all streaks can last forever so I think with head coach John Harbaugh demanding improvement the Ravens get the win in front of their fans  to snap a two game losing streak and halt the Broncos express with a 28-27 win.

Green Bay Packers vs Chicago Bears

Game by game somehow this week the matchups get bigger and better... somehow! This game has big playoff ramifications though especially for the Bears as with a loss they could easily be missing out on the post-season which would be painful for a team which was being hyped up as Super Bowl contenders midway through the season. Jay Cutler's pass protection has gone and Brandon Marshall's Christmas tree analogy of Bear's season summed up things perfectly. Urlacher is still missing on defense but in a game between two intense rivals with the trash talking and a hostile Chicago crowd I think they win this one and go on to win the NFC North. Aaron Rodgers and co will put up a fight, they can put up high scoring numbers but the Packers lose this one 20-23.

Washington Redskins vs Cleveland Browns

A few weeks ago the Redskins were not in the playoff talk but RGIII and Washington have rallied back to get to 7-6. If they sweep their remaining three games they should almost certainly make the post-season and with the team already on a four game winning streak who's to say their hot run of form won't continue well maybe destiny does as Robert Griffin misses the game through injury. Kirk Cousins takes over at QB this week against the resurgent Browns who have won 3 in a row themselves, yes I said 3 in the row for the Browns. With this being one of the harder games to predict this week it's going to be close but I think Mike Shannahan knows how to inspire a team and I think that the Redskins win and use the ground a bit more in this one not that it's a bad thing when you have Alfred Morris carrying the ball. Washington 24-14 Cleveland.

Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans

This is easy to say but it is true and that is the fact that the Houston Texans either blow away the Colts by letting out their frustrations from an embarrassing Monday night loss to the Patriots or they crumble in what is a massive game.These teams meet again in a couple of weeks and if the Colts win their remaining three they would win the AFC South, meaning for me Andrew Luck wins league MVP but that's a whole different story. Whether the Colts fairytale can continue in this game is a tough call I mean they'll make the playoffs even I predicted them to get 9 wins at the start of the season which people laughed at but Andrew Luck is one exceptional talent. I think the rookie gets it done, Indie walk in to Reliant Stadium and get the win thanks to a Luck game winning drive with the score ending 31-28 to the Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Miami Dolphins

There's not much to say about this game apart from it doesn't mean much. The Jaguars are awful whereas the Dolphins may not see it now but it has been a relatively productive season for them. They are at home and will get the win to add to Jacksonville's mystery who won't care too much as it just furthers their case for a higher draft pick. Dolphins win 23-14.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints

I'm a Josh Freeman fan, I've said it on a few occasions but everyone knows regardless of the Saints record how hard it is to walk in to the Superdome and get a win. Drew Brees and New Orleans are hanging on to extremely thin playoff hopes plus it is a rivalry game so they'll be fired up anyway. The Saints get the win and end Tampa Bay's hopes of reaching the post-season meaning that neither of them reach it, this playoff picture is complicated and needs some clearing up which week 15 will bring us. Tampa Bay 30-34 New Orleans

Minnesota Vikings vs St. Louis Rams

The Vikings have been the surprise story of the NFC especially as it was suppose to division rivals the Detroit Lions as the young upcoming team. Minnesota posted a huge win over Chicago last week and Adrian Peterson continues to beast his way through teams as the MVP candidate and potential comeback player of the year hopes to make something special happen for the Vikings this season. Whether they can actually reach the playoffs is one hard question to answer but in the NFL anything is possible I mean ask the Rams because they tied with the 49ers! At 6-6-1 St. Louis shouldn't be underestimated but I think the Vikings take this one and get the road win by a score of 21-17.

Detroit Lions vs Arizona Cardinals

I like many had high hopes for the Detroit Lions. Matthew Stafford has all the qualities to be a very good NFL quarterback and Calvin Johnson is one of if not the best wide receiver in the league. Both teams are at 4-9 but Arizona have lost nine straight which makes Detroit's five defeats in a row look pretty. The Lions want Johnson to break Jerry Rice's record for most receiving yards in a season so expect Stafford to throw the ball and throw it to his main target but the obvious gameplan won't halt the Lions as they walk out with the 31-14 victory.

Seattle Seahawks vs Buffalo Bills

The Seahawks are on a roll and embarrassed Arizona last week in a 58-0 blowout. With them getting defensive players back one by one they are slowly putting the pieces back together on this team. Russell Wilson is also doing very well at quarterback and I think Seattle gets its third win in a row by beating the hapless Bills in a 30-17 victory in Toronto.

Carolina Panthers vs San Diego Chargers

One of the only games this week that doesn't serve any real purpose regarding this season sees the 4-9 Panthers take on the 5-8 Chargers. Both have a streak of one win, that technically isn't a streak right and both will just want to win but San Diego has a habit of beating themselves but not in the good way so I reckon Cam Newton and co get the win for Carolina 27-21.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Dallas Cowboys

Two of the biggest and most historic NFL franchises go head to head this weekend when the Steelers take on the Cowboys. Both at 7-6 have their backs against the wall and need a win in order to have a shot at making the playoffs. The Bengals Thursday night win increased the pressure on Pittsburgh whilst the Cowboys need to keep the pressure on NFC East division leaders the Giants. The battle comes down to the two quarterbacks and who can get it done under pressure; Big Ben returns from injury for the Steelers to give them a major boost whilst Tony Romo looks to do what he always hopes to which is silence the critics. This win won't do that completely but yes I think Dallas get the win, am I buying in to them making the playoffs well no and even if they do they won't pull of an upset. Thankfully the home crowd will get the team going and they'll get the win in a very close one by a score of 28-27.

Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders

The 2-11 Chiefs take on the 3-10 Raiders in an exciting game... Sarcasm yes Sheldon if you're reading this is but on a serious note I think both teams awfulness will set up a high scoring game which the Raiders win 40-24 providing Darren McFadden plays.

San Francisco 49ers vs New England Patriots

Sunday night football with cap off the perfect day of NFL action when the Niners travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the Patriots. It is the unstoppable force of Tom Brady and the Patriots offense vs the immovable object in the shape of this nasty San Francisco defense. New England tore apart the Texans on Monday night and have the capability to beat anyone with the momentum they have gathered which comes down to the huge improvement they had on defense with the team forcing a number of turnovers and leading that stat in the AFC. Colin Kaepernick starts at QB again for the 49ers but I think Jim Harbaugh has been over thinking this situation too much by trying to be too clever as he tries outsmart opponents. It will come back to bite the 49ers as they will eventually go back to Alex Smith but with his confidence being hit I think the Niners will miss out on the Super Bowl and start to point fingers at each other. Don't get me wrong this is a potential Super Bowl preview but if you had to choose one of these two teams to make it to New Orleans and represent their conference at this moment in time it would be the Patriots. Bill Belichick's team are the talk and envy of the NFL so I expect New England to put in another big performance and move to 22-0 on their second half of the season record which dates back to 2010. Final score 49ers 24-31 Patriots.

Thanks for taking the time out to read my article. It's 7.15am here so I have a valid excuse if this predicting goes wrong. Catch you all soon! P.S. Check the polls out.

Houston you have a problem: Tom Brady

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots torched the Houston Texans in a 28 point blowout win at Gillette Stadium. With the Patriots wrapping up the AFC East last week they have now set their sights on the top spot in the conference with the win taking them to a 10-3 record and leaving the Texans at 11-2 following this defeat.

In a game that was hyped up to be a potential preview of a future AFC Championship game only one side rose to the occasion and it was no surprise that it was the Patriots who got the win when you consider their recent record on Monday Night Football. Ahead of the game they were 10-1 in the team's last 11 games scoring 33.1 points per game and only giving up 16.2 points per games.

The Patriots also averaged 396.7 yards per game in their last 11 on Monday Night Football and last night they racked up plenty of yardage too; 419 yards in total. They were 50% on 3rd down completing 6 out of 12 attempts and had 17 first downs in the whole game; overall it's safe to say that the offense was efficient and definitely at its best last night.

Tom Brady himself put on another amazing performance as he continues to be a frontrunner for league MVP. Thanks to his four touchdown passes New England raced out of the blocks and destroyed Houston. He completed 21 out of 35 passing attempts for 296 yards including the four passing touchdowns.

Brady's 2012-2013 season continues to be out of this world. He has now thrown for 3833 passing yards in the team's 13 games. He has only turned the ball over 4 times and has thrown 32 touchdown passes leaving him with a Quarterback rating of 104.2. Finally a passing score in the team's next 3 games means Brady will overtake Johnny Unitas in second place for throwing a touchdown pass in consecutive games giving him a shot at Drew Brees' record next season.

With the win Brady and the Patriots continued their crazy second half of the season record which now stands at 21-0 since the 2010 season. The win over the Texans was their seventh straight victory meaning that they are now just a game behind Houston in the race for the first seed with them still having to play their divisional rivals the Colts twice in the next 3 games.

It has been mentioned many times before but the Patriots offense really is beautiful to watch even without the likes of Rob Gronkowski. They get it done whenever it matters and change it up game by game to combat against any type of defense. This week the no huddle offense and play action passing worked to perfection and on Brady's 37 yard touchdown pass to Bradon Lloyd late in the first quarter Tom Brady should win an Oscar for how well he faked the handoff to the running back.

That touchdown came around 6 and a half minutes after the early touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez from 7 yards out meaning that the Patriots ended the first quarter 7-0 ahead. Brady hit Hernandez again, this time  four minutes in to the second quarter, on a quick slant to his left with the tight end open giving him an easy passage in to the end zone.

At halftime the Patriots were in the lead by a score of 21-0 and any hopes of a Houston comeback were dashed when Brady connected on a spectacular 63 yard deep pass to Donte' Stallworth who announced his comeback to New England in style. Arian Foster got the Texans on the board from a yard out leaving the score at 28-7 going in to the final quarter.

Bradon Lloyd recovered a Danny Woodhead fumble in the end zone giving the Patriots another touchdown early in the fourth and Stevan Ridley ran 14 yards for a score mid-way through the quarter; he had another very productive day rushing for 72 yards from 18 carries and showed why he is one of best young running backs in the NFL.

The Texans got a consolation touchdown late on but it finished with New England winning in style. It was supposed to be close but the Patriots showed why they may be the best team in the league by declaring their dominance. The defense is looking great too with the secondary again putting in another impressive display with the likes of McCourty, Talib and Dennard all stepping up to the plate. Vince Wilfork seems to be everywhere up front and this defense can cause problems for anyone.

On offense they took one of the league's best defense's to town and swatted away the NFL's best pass rusher J.J. Watt despite his best efforts. Now New England will look ahead to another big home game when they take on the league's most talented defense in the form of the San Francisco 49ers. It will be a different type of test for the Patriots on both sides of the ball. On offense they'll have to either deal with Colin Kaepernick or Alex Smith at quarterback, on defense they will face a unit that can pretty much get anything done.

It will be very close and will be a tougher test than this week but with Tom Brady at Quarterback and this team on the roll expect New England to continue their run of form by asserting themselves on both sides of the ball. If they can knock off another heavyweight team ahead of the playoffs this Patriots team could really gather the serious momentum needed by anyone ahead of the post-season. Based on what this team is doing it is safe to say that New England really does have the talent to go on and get to the Super Bowl in New Orleans and dare I say it win Super Bowl 47.

NFL playoff picture: AFC

Week 12 brought us three exciting Thanksgiving Day games with plenty more thrills and spills when the rest of the league took to the field later on in the week. This week's games only muddied the AFC playoff picture. As for the NFC well Thursday Night Footballs sees the Saints and the Falcons go head to head in an NFC South clash which has playoff ramifications to go along with bragging rights. For now we are going to take a look at how things currently stand in the American Football Conference with an overview of each division and see who has the best chance of reaching the playoffs.

AFC current standings:

AFC EAST	W	L	T	PCT
New England Patriots	8	3	0	.727
Miami Dolphins	5	6	0	.455
New York Jets	4	7	0	.364
Buffalo Bills	4	7	0	.364
AFC NORTH	W	L	T	PCT
Baltimore Ravens	9	2	0	.818
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	5	0	.545
Cincinnati Bengals	6	5	0	.545
Cleveland Browns	3	8	0	.273
AFC SOUTH	W	L	T	PCT
Houston Texans	10	1	0	.909
Indianapolis Colts	7	4	0	.636
Tennessee Titans	4	7	0	.364
Jacksonville Jaguars	2	9	0	.182
AFC WEST	W	L	T	PCT
Denver Broncos	8	3	0	.727
San Diego Chargers	4	7	0	.364
Oakland Raiders	3	8	0	.273
Kansas City Chiefs	1	10	0	.091

Divisional leaders:

The AFC's leaders are the Patriots, Ravens, Texans and Broncos. All of which are pretty much guaranteed a spot in the playoffs but they still have seeding to battle it out for with the top two seeds earning a bye week when the playoffs begin.

The Patriots currently hold the third seed with their win over the Broncos earlier in the season being the tie breaker but if the Broncos were to beat the Ravens when they meet up and in theory all three hold the same record then the tie break would get complicated as it was the Ravens who beat the Patriots earlier in the season.

As well as that the Patriots and the Texans still have a matchup against each other to worry about and both have divisional rivals hunting for wild card spots. These four teams will be the top four seeded teams come the end of the regular season but with potential tiebreaker chaos and some crunch games coming down the stretch it's anyone's call as to who will earn home field advantage as well as the byes.

The wildcard hunt:

In the South we have the Colts who still have to play the Texans twice. Indianapolis wants to confirm its place in the post-season as soon as possible and potentially if they put on a late run of wins they could dethrone the Texans in the South but a lot would need to go their way.

The East sees the Dolphins take on their divisional leaders twice when they face the Patriots in week 13 as Miami hopes to get back to .500. Their chances of reaching the post-season though are not as likely as the Colts especially as they'll lose the tiebreak to them if it comes down to it following their defeat to Indianapolis earlier in the season.

The other two AFC East teams are the Bills and Jets who are both 4-7 and would both appear to be out of the playoff picture. For the Bills all are in agreement but some believe the Jets could sneak in if they manage to win at least 4 of their next 5. The only way that is could even be a possibility is if Tebow time happens and he produces the god like form, no pun intended, that he did for Denver last season. So in other words, the Jets need miracle.

In the other two divisions all is very different as the West has no potential wildcard teams in the division. It is safe to say that the likes of the Chargers and the Raiders won't make a late surge as they've been shooting themselves in the foot all season.  Meanwhile in the AFC North an injury to Steelers quarterback Big Roethlisberger shook the division up.

Pittsburgh looks mediocre without its franchise QB especially after the week 12 defeat to the Browns. Their rivals, the Bengals, have crept up to a 6-5 record to match the Steelers and look like they could snatch the final wildcard spot. With Pittsburgh facing the Ravens next potentially come the end of week 13 the Steelers will be out of the playoffs at that point in time.

Looking ahead

Steelers @ Ravens: This game is as crucial for Baltimore as it is for their rivals, whether Big Ben returns at quarterback or not for the Steelers it will be the Ravens who come out on top in this one as they hang on to the No. 2 seed for another week.

Patriots @ Dolphins: The Dolphins will give it their all but this mountain is probably too high for Miami. It has the potential to be close as even the Jets and the Bills have had games that have gone to the wire with New England this season but the Patriots know how to win games. With the Patriots currently on a streak of 5 wins in a row they're hitting their second half of the regular season form with both defense and offense taking care of the ball so they'll wrap up another win in week 13 and move on to 9-3.

Bengals @ Chargers: Some people have the Chargers down as a team who could still  make a late sprint in to a wildcard spot but as most people know this San Diego team is no playoff squad. With the Bengals having to endure a rugged schedule in the next few weeks it makes this game even more of a must win if they are to have a shot at making the playoffs. Tough call but Cincinnati should edge it.

Buccaneers @ Broncos: Despite a setback last week this 6-5 Tampa Bay team could still make the post-season but they go on the road against Peyton Manning and co. A Denver win keeps their second-seed dreams alive and Peyton knows how to get a job done so no matter how close this potentially could be for the Broncos they'll win and go on to 9-3.

Colts @ Lions: With the madness going on in the NFC in regards to the playoff picture the Lions will be disappointed that their young talented team couldn't go from good to great this season. They may also be envious of Andrew Luck and the Colts who with a win would create significant clarity in the AFC playoff picture with the wildcard spot firmly in their grasp. Matthew Stafford and co are not going to go down without a fight though, with both young quarterback's knowing how to pull off a 4th quarter comeback I see this going down to a game winning drive by either one of the two; you heard it here first.

And looking even further ahead...

Come the end of the regular season all of the current leaders in the AFC will win their respective divisions. Personally I feel one of the Ravens or the Texans will lose their current bye week seeding but I'm going to try and let my head rule my heart over the following decision:

Seed 1: Houston Texans 14-2
Seed 2: New England Patriots 13-3
Seed 3: Denver Broncos 13-3
Seed 4: Baltimore Ravens 12-4


The Texans have played good football all year, they'll hold on to home advantage and the number one seed. They'll lose two games maximum of their remaining five but more importantly for the Texans if they do take the first seed they need to know that no first seed in a conference has gone on to win the Super Bowl since the 2003 Patriots so Houston fans hold your horses.

I would have rather put the Pats, Broncos and Ravens all at 12-4 or all at 13-3 but I doubt all three will finish with the same record. With that being said regardless of what happens there's going to be a tiebreaker headache and they'll be a tiebreaker between the two of the three or all of them come the climax of the regular season.

Let's assume for a second that New England and Denver sweep their schedules and finish 13-3 and the Ravens win 4 of their remaining 5 with the one loss coming against Denver it will be the Patriots who would win the tiebreaker meaning they'll take the second seed and the bye week based off a better AFC record (11-1) than the Ravens (10-2) and Broncos (10-2). 

Tom Brady knows how to get it done at this stage of the season and Bill Belichick's men are 16-0 if you combine the second half of the seasons over the past two years, 17 now following their week 12 win. The same can be said for Peyton Manning, he and Brady are both future hall of famers and have been in this position so both Denver and New England will finish the season strongly.

Overall I'm going with the Patriots and the Texans getting that pass in to the divisional round. Baltimore's injuries on defense will take their toll resulting in a defeat to say Denver; that will open up the race for the second seed which I fancy New England to end up taking.

As for the wildcard spots well Andrew Luck has had a great year for the Colts and despite whatever is thrown at them Indianapolis seem to find a way through so they'll take the fifth seed for the playoffs. The sixth seed is the tougher call, usually the Steelers have the know-how and resilience to win games but the young Bengals have found a way to get back in the playoff picture. 

Honestly it will come down to the week 16 matchup between the two as no other AFC team has the capability of putting a run together to challenge for that last wildcard spot. Pittsburgh's defense can keep them in games until Big Ben returns but regardless of that I think like Indianapolis it will be the Bengals who enjoy a fairy-tale of their own by also reaching the playoffs.

One thing's for sure, it is going to be a very exciting end to the season as the playoff chase is now definitely in full swing!

Present vs Future

The Colts ran out of luck when they visited Gillette stadium on Sunday as the New England Patriots blew out Indianapolis in a 59-24 victory. The defeat ended a four game winning streak for rookie Andrew Luck and the Colts as the team were schooled by veteran quarterback and opposite number on the day Tom Brady with the Patriots dominating on both sides of the ball.

New England's defense stepped up to the plate with a big performance meaning that their offense, which at times has carried the Patriots this season, didn't take the field as much this week so it was a great all round performance. The blitz worked very well and confused Andrew Luck with the rookie ending up trying to force things in the latter stages meaning that he threw 3 picks on the day.

Things did start well for Indianapolis as Delone Carter's 1 yard touchdown run put them up by 7 within the first five minutes of the game but then New England hit back three minutes later when Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski from 4 yards out for the touchdown to level it at 7-7. In the closing stages of the first Luck threw a brilliant 14 yard touchdown pass to the back of the end zone with T.Y. Hilton hauling in the pass to put the Colts 14-7 up going in to the second quarter.

The Patriots tied the game up immediately when Julian Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown with a spectacular 68 yard run. Special teams was brilliant all day for New England and Edelman himself put in an amazing performance. He performed like the playmaker any team would desire and with him racking up yardage all over the field he resembled Patriots hall of famer Troy Brown by putting on a monster game. Edelman finished the game 58 yards receiving in the air and a score, 117 yards returning off two punts and even rushed for 47 yards on his one running play.

The momentum took another big shift towards New England just a minute after the punt return when debutant and new acquisition Aqib Talib picked off Andrew Luck and returned the interception for 59 yards for the touchdown putting the Patriots 21-14 ahead. Talib made the teams secondary look very stable and the the defense as a unit took a big step forward this week with this great performance. Although one player can't change a teams fortunes with Talib and Dennard at cornerback and the likes of Devin McCourty shifting to safety this secondary is looking dangerous along with the rest of the defense which includes the likes of veteran Vince Wilfork as well as rookies Chandler Jones and Hightower up front.

A field goal each by either team meant that the Colts went in to halftime trailing 24-17. The third quarter was all for the Patriots though as Tom Brady kicked in to top gear by throwing two touchdown passes. The first was on a 2 yard play to Edelman and the second was a 24 yard pass to Gronk. Tom Brady put up brilliant numbers again with another efficient performance as he completed 24/35 passing attempts. He threw for 331 yards which included his three TD passes meaning that his season numbers after ten games now stand at a very impressive 2976 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes, only 3 interceptions and a passer rating of 102.5.

The amazing tight end Rob Gronkowski also had a brilliant day as he racked up 137 receiving yards off of 7 receptions including his two scores but sadly for New England a fantastic day was dampened by the news that Gronk broke his forearm late in the fourth which required surgery and means that one of their most influential options on offense is now out for 4-6 weeks but will be back in time for the playoffs. Thankfully for the Patriots Aaron Hernandez is back for the thanksgiving day game against the Jets meaning that they still have one head of the double-headed tight end monster available for the big AFC East matchup.

So with the Colts down 38-17 going in to the fourth Andrew Luck looked to get something going in the final quarter but was picked off in the first 13 seconds of it when Alfonzo Dennard returned the interception all the way in to Indianapolis's end zone from 87 yards. Two minutes later Luck threw his second touchdown pass on the day when he linked up with T.Y. Hilton again on a brilliant 43 yard play. The first round overall pick may not have had his best day but he still played well as he completed just over 50% of his passes and racked up 334 passing yards. Despite dropping to 6-4 after this loss the Colts schedule leaves them with a lot of winnable games so if they can regroup they can still make the post-season.
 
Despite the bad news the Patriots' running game this year has been a great weapon and showed its talent again in this win with Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen being the two running backs who took the snaps this weekend. Ridley is having a very productive season and rushed for 28 yards from 13 attempts for the one score, Vereen who hasn't seen as much play time but has still looked good got the most yardage on the day at running back as he rushed for 40 yards from 11 carries and also got a score. The two touchdown runs came after the Colts last score on the day and with those two scores for New England it meant that the Patriots wrapped up the huge 35 point victory in style.

The New England Patriots are now 7-3 on the season and lead the rest of the AFC East by 3 games. A win for them over the Jets on Thursday will almost certainly clinch them the division as they will then look to push on and hope that they can clinch one of the top two seeds in the AFC to try and get them a bye week in the playoffs. At this moment in time they have the third seed in the conference but with the 8-2 Baltimore Ravens having some injury problems of their own as well as New England still having to play the 9-1 Houston Texans anything is possible as the Patriots look to get home field advantage as Tom Brady and co strive to return to the Super Bowl in February hoping that they can win a fourth championship for the franchise.