The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts both enjoyed a Week 14 bye leading into what is poised to be a pivotal matchup on Saturday night. New England finds itself still atop the AFC as the No. 1 seed entering Week 15 but will need to hold serve in the conference as two other squads sit at 9-4 on the year. Meanwhile, the Colts are the No. 6 seed in the current playoff picture, but margins are razor-thin with five teams currently at 7-6.
While we wait for this game to kick off, let this be your preview for what's to come. Below, we'll tell you how you can watch this rare Saturday game unfold, reveal our keys to the game, and make our prediction for how we see this shaking out.
How to watch
Date: Saturday, Dec. 18 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana)
TV: NFL Network | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Colts -2.5, O/U 45.5
Keys to the game
Who can win the turnover battle?
Both the Patriots and Colts have a knack for creating turnovers. Indianapolis is first in the NFL in opponent turnovers (29) this season while New England is tied for third (26). Not only are both of these teams snatching the football away from the opposing offense, but they are also capitalizing off them with points. The Colts (+62) and Patriots (+31) rank second and seventh respectively in points off turnover margin this season. Meanwhile, both of these teams have turned the ball over just 16 times this season (tied for the 11th-fewest in the NFL).
Can the Patriots slow down Jonathan Taylor?
Jonathan Taylor entering this game as the NFL's rushing yards and rushing touchdowns leader, which could pose a problem for New England. While the Patriots defense has largely been strong this season, stopping the run has been one of their weak points. Entering Week 15, New England is allowing 3.2 yards post-contact per rush, which is the most in the NFL. Taylor is averaging 3.7 yards post-contact per rush this season (fourth-most among backs with at least 100 rushes).
Mac Jones vs. Indy's zone defense
The Colts have lined up in zone coverage in 72% of their defensive snaps this season (eighth-highest rate in the NFL). That doesn't trend too favorably for the Patriots rookie quarterback, who hasn't had much success against zone coverage this season. Of 32 qualified quarterbacks, Jones is 24th in yards per completion, 29th in touchdowns per attempt, and 27th in sack percentage.
Prediction
The Colts are a 2.5-point favorite in this game and do present a strong matchup against New England. That said, Bill Belichick is notorious for being able to take away an offense's go-to weapon and force them to win another way. If he successfully takes away or limited Jonathan Taylor, it's hard to imagine Carson Wentz being able to throw his way to victory against a New England pass defense that ranks No. 3 in the NFL in DVOA. As for the betting trends, the Patriots are 7-0 ATS over this winning streak and are also 6-1 ATS in their last seven games off the bye. The Colts are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Pick: Patriots 24, Colts 21
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December 18, 2021 at 01:10PM
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Patriots vs. Colts how to watch: TV, live streaming, odds, keys, pick for Week 15 showdown in Indy - CBS Sports
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