The Indianapolis Colts boast one of the NFL’s most formidable rushing attacks, led by budding superstar Jonathan Taylor. Carson Wentz can’t see the New England Patriots stopping it.
Wentz on Tuesday said he’s “confident” Taylor and the Colts will be able to run on the Patriots’ top-ranked defense.
“For sure. I would say a lot of teams have (tried to stop our run game) as of late,” the Colts quarterback told reporters in Indy. “So for us, JT’s still as good as it gets at that position in the league, and we trust our big boys up front, no matter the looks, to get it done. So for us, it’s going to still be the same thing. We’re going to try and run the ball, and I’m confident that we’re going to be able to. We’re going to still do our thing. Then, like we always say, within a game, make adjustments as needed.”
Because they faced Cleveland without Nick Chubb and Tennessee without Derrick Henry, this will be the Patriots’ first matchup against a top-tier rushing offense since Week 6, when they allowed 122 yards (3.9 per carry) to Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys in a 35-29 overtime loss.
Overall, New England ranks 19th in rushing yards allowed per game and per carry this season but sixth in Football Outsiders’ rush defense DVOA, which factors in the opponent and game situation. The Patriots have been stout against the run for most of their current seven-game winning streak but have experienced a few notable hiccups, like when the Henry-less Titans hung 270 rushing yards on them in Week 12.
On Saturday, they’ll be tasked with slowing down the NFL’s rushing leader. Taylor has topped 100 rushing yards in seven of his last 10 games — peaking with a 185-yard, five-touchdown effort in a Week 11 rout of Buffalo — and is averaging 1.6 rushing touchdowns per game during that span.
Wentz said he expects to see some “unscouted looks” from the Patriots’ game-plan defense, which adapts weekly based on its opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. The Patriots rank first in the NFL in scoring defense and second in defensive DVOA, and they’ve been nearly impenetrable of late, allowing six, seven, zero, 13 and 10 points over their last five games.
“It’s a good defense,” Wentz told reporters. “Obviously coached very well. Everybody knows that, for a very long time. They’re very specific in each game (about) how they want to stop an opponent. … A lot of respect. They’re super disciplined on defense and do. a great job, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
The Colts, meanwhile, are focused on stifling the Patriots’ own ground game, which also ranks among the NFL’s best.
