The NFL found something out last week that many were starting to doubt: Andre Johnson and Frank Gore still have some gas in the tank.
The Indianapolis Colts wide receiver and running back put up some solid numbers in Indy’s 27-20 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, as Gore rushed for 98 yards and a touchdown. In the receiving game, T.Y. Hilton put up a more impressive 88 yards on five catches, but Johnson’s 77 yards on six catches came with two touchdowns.
And New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick took notice ahead of his team’s upcoming matchup with the Colts.
“I think that Gore’s really looked good,” Belichick told reporters Tuesday. “There are a lot of great examples of him running the ball downhill, breaking tackles and getting positive plays. Johnson had a big game last week against Houston, but both those guys, it looks like they are still productive, and we’re going to have to deal with the size and physicality and experience of both of them.”
Belichick wasn’t sure if the 32-year-old Gore and 34-year-old Johnson’s success had anything to do with the fact that backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was at the helm, but he’s going to make sure the Patriots prepare for them nonetheless.
“It’s always hard to tell what somebody else’s game plan is,” Belichick said. “Something is working, and they were getting the ball to Johnson, you keep doing it. How much of that was Hasselbeck-related, game plan-related, or just how the game unfolded? I’m not sure, but we have to be ready for all of them, and those two guys are certainly two players I personally have a lot of respect for, the kind of careers that they’ve had, but they’re playing very well now and we’re going to have to do a good job to control them.”
Thumbnail photo via Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports Images
