INDIANAPOLIS — Opposing defenses have had an easy time stopping Indianapolis Colts running back Trent Richardson since he came into the NFL as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 draft.
The New England Patriots completely shut him down, however, holding the Colts’ starter to zero yards on seven carries in their 42-20 win over Indianapolis. Fellow Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who’s had a resurgence this season, only had slightly more success, managing 4 yards on seven carries. That’s all the Patriots allowed on the ground to running backs, plus quarterback Andrew Luck’s 15 yards on three scrambles.
The Patriots’ ability to shut down Richardson and Bradshaw was no accident.
“That was a key of ours,” Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said. “Every week, that’s been one of our main goals: coming in, being able to stop the run and making them one-dimensional. We know when we can do that, good things happen for us. (Sunday) was a good outing. We just executed well all across the board. Everything we practiced, everything we wanted to do, we did it well.”
The Patriots came into the night as a bottom-10 rushing defense, allowing 120 yards per game. Now they rank 14th against the run, and one of the team’s biggest question marks has become a strength.
Stopping the Colts’ rushing attack made it easier to defend Andrew Luck, who managed one of his least productive games of the season while still throwing for 303 yards and two touchdowns.
By contrast, the Patriots’ offense was far from one-dimensional, as Jonas Gray, rushing for 199 yards and four touchdowns on 38 carries, looked like the top-five pick rather than a former undrafted free agent who failed to catch on with the Miami Dolphins or Baltimore Ravens.
Photo via Darron Cummings/Associated Press
