FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots turned their focus to the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday, a quicker-than-usual turnaround due to the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday that accelerated their weekly schedule. Coming off a disappointing loss in Miami and with the bye week waiting on the other side of Indy, it was a welcome adjustment to get started a day early.
The 5-7 Colts will provide another tough test for Drake Maye and a Patriots offense still searching for a consistent identity.
"I think these guys are working hard during the week, and I feel like we're putting some good practices together," said Maye. "I think we've just got to translate it to the field. I think it's different when those reps do count, and I think it's something we'll figure out."
"After watching the tape, we really screwed ourselves on the offensive side of the ball," said tackle Vederian Lowe, who was called for four penalties against the Dolphins. "We know that we have to correct our self-inflicted mistakes to give ourselves a chance."
The Colts come into the game on the edge of playoff contention and will be well-motivated to earn a victory that would put them within one win of a .500 record and striking distance of an AFC Wild Card spot. Indy currently sits in the AFC's ninth seed, two spots out of a postseason berth, while also maintaining second place in the AFC South.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo highlighted running back Jonathan Taylor as a key player for the New England defense to concern themselves with. Still just 25 years old, Taylor is off the pace from his 2021 season of 1,811 rushing yards, the same season he hung 170 on the Patriots in Week 15, but remains the main cog of the Indy attack. His 2021 total vs. the Pats remains the fifth-best rushing performance of his career and one that Mayo and the Pats will hope to avoid this time like they did last year when they held Taylor to just 69 yards on 23 carries.
"Taylor, he's a problem," said Mayo. "We have to try to go out there and really bottle him up. I think one thing about him, he probably doesn't get the hype that he deserves. At the same time, he's a very explosive player and a very fast player out there on the field. It all really runs through him."
Defensively the Patriots will have to deal with the big arm and hard-charging runs of quarterback Anthony Richardson, who is 1-1 since returning from a mid-season benching after a win over the Jets and a loss to the Lions. On the season, Richardson is 4-4.
In those two games since returning as the starter, Richardson has gotten 20 carries for 93 yards and two touchdowns during that time, as Colts head coach Shane Steichen has looked to lean on Richardson's legs more heavily.
Richardson's arm and downfield passing ability are a major threat as well, with the Colts group of receivers able to stretch the field and produce big game-changing plays. Mayo said it was nice to have Joe Milton on the roster to help give the Patriots a sense in practice of the big-time throws that Richardson can deliver down the field.
"Anthony, he brings a lot to the table," said Christian Gonzalez. "You know, he's a real big quarterback, fast, athletic, can make every throw."
With just one more game to go before the bye week, the Patriots can empty the tank in search of win. It's been a trying season and one that veteran Jonathan Jones said can weigh on the players.
"[Losing eats at you] a lot to be really honest," said Jones, who was announced late last week as the team's nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award this year. "It's a human factor that you come out here in this game, and the only objective that you have to do is to win, and we haven't done that. And so you just try to stay in a positive mindset. Just take each week as it comes and just build on it, and just look for some light at the end of the tunnel to strive for."
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