3 Takeaways from Patriots' Week 9 Win vs. Colts
Entering Week 9 of the 2022 NFL season, the New England Patriots were the only team in the AFC East that didn't have a winning record. That's no longer the case.
On Sunday, the Pats rolled to a 26-3 rout of the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium, notching their fourth victory in their past five games. After opening the year 1-3, New England has been playing much better over the past month.
The Colts were never really in Sunday's game. After a scoreless first quarter from both sides, the Patriots built a 13-0 lead before halftime. The only points that Indianapolis scored came on a 40-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin midway through the third quarter.
Here are three takeaways from New England's Week 9 win.
The Defense Delivered, Exactly as Expected
The Colts' offense was again missing its top offensive playmaker on Sunday afternoon, as running back Jonathan Taylor was out due to an ankle injury. Plus, quarterback Sam Ehlinger was making only his second career NFL start. So on paper, this looked like a matchup that the Patriots' defense would dominate.
And that's exactly what New England did. The Pats recorded nine sacks, including three apiece from Matthew Judon and Josh Uche. They allowed only 121 total yards and eight first downs, and Jonathan Jones sealed the victory with a 17-yard interception return touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Indianapolis went 0-for-14 on third downs and 0-for-2 on fourth downs. Its 15 possessions resulted in eight punts, a blocked punt, a field goal, a missed FG, two turnovers on downs, one interception and the clock running out at the end of the game.
“We got pressure on early downs and created some long-yardage situations,” New England head coach Bill Belichick said, per Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press. “Anytime you have good pass rush, you have good coverage. And anytime you have good coverage, you have good pass rush.”
This performance was a great example of what the Patriots' defense is capable of when they're excelling in all areas. Now, they'll look to keep doing that in some tougher matchups in the second half of the regular season.
There's Still Plenty of Room for Improvement on Offense
Because the Pats' defense was playing so well, they didn't need much out of their offense on Sunday. That's a good thing for New England, as it didn't fare nearly as well when it had possession of the ball.
In his third game back from an ankle injury, quarterback Mac Jones went 20-for-30 for 147 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots' rushing attack averaged only 2.5 yards per carry. They had only 203 total yards, and they went 6-for-17 on third downs.
Jones, who has struggled a bit when healthy early in the year, will be looking to lead the unit to better results moving forward.
"You’ve got to move the ball, and we’ve got to eliminate some of the negative plays. We’re just in long-yardage situations way too often," Jones said, per Zack Cox of NESN. "It’s the NFL. These guys are pretty good. If you put yourself behind the sticks, your percentages plummet."
New England ranks 26th in the league in total yards per game (319.9) and 24th in passing yards per game (202.7). So the Patriots' offense needs to improve, as their defense likely won't always play at the level it did Sunday.
The Patriots Are Firmly in the AFC Playoff Mix
Any of the four teams in the AFC East could win the division title this season. The Buffalo Bills (6-2) are the favorite and sit in first place, but the New York Jets (6-3) and Miami Dolphins (6-3) aren't far behind. And now, neither are the Patriots (5-4).
Entering its Week 10 bye, New England is in a great position to be a playoff contender again this season. Early in the year, that seemed a bit unlikely. But with the Pats' recent play, they've put themselves back in the mix as a postseason contender.
However, the Patriots will have some challenging matchups down the stretch. They still have four games to play against AFC East rivals, including two against the Bills (at home in Week 13 and on the road in Week 18). Plus, the Pats will play the Minnesota Vikings (7-1) on the road and the Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) at home.
It's probably too early to say that New England has a strong chance of reaching the playoffs for the 13th time in 14 seasons. But the Patriots are only a half-game back of the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) for the No. 7 seed in the wild-card race. So anything is possible from here.