It was Tom Brady‘s 25th straight regular-season home win but the Pats don’t have much time to celebrate as they head to Detroit on Wednesday for a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Lions on Thursday afternoon.
But before we get into the Turkey Day tilt in Motown, NESN.com Patriots reporter Jeff Howe is going to dish out his weekly grades and ask you to grade the team yourself.
OFFENSE
They were flawless through three quarters, and that’s how they ultimately won the game. But after Brady completed 19 of his first 21 passes, he misfired on his last four attempts, including three on third down, and that’s how the Colts got back into the game..
Jeff Howe: B
DEFENSE
The defense picked off Peyton Manning three times and did some new things to confuse him, like placing cornerback Kyle Arrington in a three-point stance over right tackle Ryan Diem for most of the second half, and safety James Sanders won the game with the last-minute interception.
Jeff Howe: B
SPECIAL TEAMS
No real issues with this unit, but it would be nice to see Brandon Tate find a spark on kick returns.
Jeff Howe: B
COACHING
They executed the run-pass balance that is necessary against the Indy defense, and there was enough prep work done during the week to install new disguises to confuse Manning.
Jeff Howe: A-
GAME PLAN
The Patriots needed to pressure Manning to force him out of the pocket and get in his head. Manning is clearly uncomfortable with the receivers at his disposal, and when the Patriots brought the heat, Manning made some decisions he probably didn’t feel comfortable with. And on the game-deciding play, outside linebacker Jermaine Cunningham forced just enough pressure on Manning that the quarterback couldn’t step into his throw, and the ball fell short into Sanders’ hands.
Jeff Howe: B+
