6 rings: Patriots vs. Colts Week 10 Preview
guten Morgen!
It’s Saturday in both Massachusetts and Germany, which means it's a perfect time to take a look at the players that'll make up Sunday's Patriots vs. Colts matchup in Frankfurt.
Here are 10 of them:
10 - CB Kenny Moore II, Colts
Want a fun fact about Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II? The Valdosta State product actually started his career with the Patriots. Following the 2017 NFL Draft, New England signed Moore as an undrafted free agent but ended up waiving him during final roster cuts. The Colts proceeded to claim him, and the rest is history.
Primarily a slot cornerback, Moore has made quite the name for himself in Indianapolis over the last seven seasons. He signed a four-year, $36 million extension with the team in 2019 and wound up a Pro Bowler in 2021. Here’s what Bill Belichick had to say this week about his former player:
“Kenny [Moore II] had a good game last week against Carolina, obviously. We’ll have to do a good job taking care of the ball, do a good job in the running game, play good situational football. He continued, “He’s in a system that fits him very well. He’s very productive in it. It’s a little different than what we do…Very smart, instinctive player, and he’s had a great career.”
He certainly has, and my eyes will be on the former Patriots on Sunday.
9 - CB Jack Jones, Patriots
Speaking of cornerbacks, the Patriots’ CB room is in a bit of disarray as we enter Week 10 of the season.
Last weekend prior to their contest against the Commanders, both J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones were reportedly late for curfew at the team hotel and were benched to start the game because of it.
Jackson was since sent home and will not be in Germany with the team due to “questions about his reilablilty”. Jones, however, did make the trip and looks to be in good graces following his mistake.
“"He responded. We're all grown men. He took it like a man." safety Jabrill Peppers said in Germany on Friday about Jones' approach in practice following his benching. “[It’s] behind him now.”
In front of his is defending Colts wide receiver’s Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce. Quite the test for the second-year defensive back.
8 - RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts and 7 - RB Zack Moss, Colts
The Colts all of a sudden have a two-headed monster in their backfield in Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss. Taylor, as I’m sure you’re aware, is one of the league’s top backs and ran for 170 yards the last time he faced off against the Patriots.
But Zack Moss? Well he’s only the league’s second leading rusher behind Christian McCaffrey.
With Taylor starting the season on PUP following a holdout, Moss has taken over as the lead back in Indy to the tune of 615 yards and five touchdowns on 132 carries.
With both guys now active and rolling, it’ll be quite the task for New England’s above-average run defense.
6 - T Conor McDermott, Patriots
Trent Brown didn’t make the trip to Germany this weekend with the Patriots due to both personal reasons and an ankle injury, so it’ll likely be practice squadder Conor McDermott who’ll be called up on Sunday to not only start, but protect Mac Jones’ blind side.
McDermott has primarily been a right tackle throughout his career, but desparate times call for desparate measures. While serviceable last Sunday versus the Commanders’ sub-par edge defense, the 31-year-old will now have to protect against a Colts pass rush who has sacked opposing QB’s 25 times this season.
5 - LB Zaire Franklin, Colts
When you think of dominant Indianapolis Colts linebackers, you likely think of Darius Leonard, not Zaire Franklin. Over the last two seasons, however, the 2018 second-round pick out of Syracuse has been dominant.
Tallying 269 tackles over the last season and a half and leading the NFL this year in the category, Franklin is never not near the ball. Patriots QB Mac Jones, who will get to, will need to know where the linebacker is at all times.
Franklin was on the injury report this week leading up to Sunday with a knee injury, but was a full participant in Indy’s first and only practice in Germany on Friday and should be ready to roll.
4 - RB Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots
Bill O’Brien was finally able to get Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson going a little bit last week, with his performance highlighted by a 64-yard touchdown run that gave New England a 14-10 lead.
The problem? He only totaled nine carries in the contest. A strange decision considering the Pats were never desparate to rely on the pass as it was almost always a one possession game.
Stevenson has been on what seems to be a load management track this season but, with the 2023 campaign continuing to be on the line and the fourth-rounder now finding a groove, look for him to get more carries this weekend in Germany.
3 - DT DeForest Buckner, Colts
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is one of the best (and one of my favorite) players in the National Football League.
A first round pick of the 49ers in 2018, the former Oregon Duck was traded to the Colts ahead of the 2020 season and has been killing it since. An All-Pro in his first season with Indy, Buckner has sacked opposing quarterbacks 29.5 times since donning the blue and white. At 6-foot-7 295 pounds, he’s a force to be reckoned with and, like Franklin mentioned above, will not only be worth Mac Jones keeping an eye on, but you as viewer as well.
2 - WR Michael Pittman, Colts
Future Patriot Michael Pittman?!
The Stanford product has done nothing but shine since being selected by the Colts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and the reason I’m watching him on Sunday is because he’s a pending free agent coming up this offseason.
The Patriots need a true No. 1 wide receiver to pair with whoever their quarterback is going to be next season, and Pittman will be one of the top options in March of 2024. A 6-foot-4, 225ish pound target, the former Cardinal is an underrated route-runner for is size and is very much a "go up and get it" kind of player.
He'd be a home run signing, and will be exciting to watch on Sunday.
1 - QB Mac Jones, Patriots
I think, by default, I may have to put Mac Jones at No. 1 on this list for the rest of the season.
While both he and the Patriots' offense have slightly improved over the last few games, it feels like the quarterback is effectively playing for his job week in and week out at this point.
"I try look at it each week and focus on the game plan for the week," Jones said on Friday upon his team's arrival in Frankfurt. "It’s a really tough business. It’s the NFL, there is a lot of good defenses out there. For us, we’ve got to make sure we know what the gameplan is for this week and that's focusing on where we are. We’ve got to be where our feet are, is what I always say... It takes all 11. So, that’s very important and I feel like we’ve actually made progress there, we just need to finish these games."
The next and most important game is on Sunday, and the most important player to watch will be Jones.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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