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AFC Championship: Colts Seek Top Stop Effort Against Pats

  • Updated: January 16, 2015
    • AFC Championship: Colts Seek Top Stop Effort Against Pats

    By Charles Jay

    The Indianapolis Colts are primarily known for the efforts – sometimes very dramatic – from quarterback Andrew Luck. But maybe they aren’t getting enough credit for their defense lately. On Sunday they hope that the “D” can augment what the “O” can do and bring them a Super Bowl berth as they pay a visit to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. The Colts will try to beat the NFL odds in football betting action that is set for 6:40 PM ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. Of course, BetAnySports customers don’t have to stop upon kickoff. they can wager on props all throughout the game with Live Betting Extra.

    AFC Championship: Colts Seek Top Stop Effort Against Pats

    To say the least, the Colts have experienced some ups and downs with this defensive unit. They gave up six touchdown passes to Ben Roethlisberger in one game, which came after emaciating the Cincinnati Bengals in their regular season meeting. They were also chewed up by the Patriots in a previous encounter this year, allowing 246 rushing yards in a 42-20 defeat. But they have been outstanding at times. They stifled the Bengals again in the wild card round, allowing just 254 yards to a team that was missing AJ Green. So maybe there were skeptics. But then they turned around and really handcuffed Peyton Manning at Mile High last week, keeping him well under control (just 211 yards) and even grinding out an eight-minute drive in the fourth quarter to salt away the 24-13 victory. The day after the game, Broncos exec John Elway fired coach John Fox because his team didn’t go out “kicking and screaming.”

    Such was the effect of the Indianapolis stop unit.

    In the NFL odds that have been posted on this game at BetAnySports, the Colts are catching almost a full touchdown:

    New England Patriots -6.5
    Indianapolis Colts +6.5

    Over 54 points -110
    Under 54 points -110

    We have mentioned some of the “bad news” regarding the Colts’ defense, and to add to it, their red zone proficiency has not been all that impressive, as they have allowed the opponent to score touchdowns on 67% of their trips. But there is some “good news” too; the Colts not only held their foes to 33% conversions on third down, they also forced them to punt on 46% of all drives. They were also best in the NFL in terms of the time of possession they allowed to their opponents on a per-drive basis. Can they get after the passer? A little, even though they probably wished they had Robert Mathis, the NFL sack master from last season, who had to sit out first with a suspension and then with an injury.

    BetAnySports customers know that even though the Colts have allowed just 59% completions, their biggest challenge on Sunday with Tom Brady and the New England offense will be preventing them from running with the football up and down the field. That is because the Patriots have been unstoppable over ground in each of their last two meetings with Indianapolis. In last year’s playoff game with the Colts, LeGarrette Blount had 166 yards, and his effect was to wear down the Indy front. Blount left for Pittsburgh but is now back, and it’s a good thing, because Jonas Gray, who chopped up the Colts for 199 yards and four TD’s in this year’s 42-20 New England victory, has been dealing with ankle issues.

    If the Patriots are to exploit this route again, they will have to shift gears from last week’s strategy. New England had only fourteen yards on the ground in their thrilling 35-31 win over Baltimore, and that turned out to be the lowest total for any team that has won a post-season game. And they did not hand the ball off to a running back the entire second half.

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    Summary
    AFC Championship: Colts Seek Top Stop Effort Against Pats
    Article Name
    AFC Championship: Colts Seek Top Stop Effort Against Pats
    Description
    NFL Betting Preview of the AFC Championship game, as the New England Patriots play host to the Indianapolis Colts, at 6:40 PM ET on Sunday in Foxborough.
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