The Indianapolis Colts (7-6) are welcoming an old rival to Lucas Oil Stadium in the first Saturday night game of the NFL season.
There is still deep hatred between the two franchises but it is New England who has been dominant anytime they clash. The Colts haven’t beaten them since 2009, which was the infamous game that featured the fourth-and-two stop.
This will be the second time that Frank Reich has faced Bill Belichick since 2018. The Patriots won a 38-24 matchup that day. A lot has changed for both organizations since then and it starts with the quarterback position.
Indianapolis is still in the process of finding out if Carson Wentz is in their long-term future. On the other side, everything is sunny in the second year of the post-Tom Brady era. Mac Jones has put together a good rookie season and helped get New England to the number one seed in the AFC.
Every playoff spot is still up for grabs and this game will have a ripple effect across the conference. This is a big opportunity for the Colts to make a statement on Saturday night, here are the top five things to watch for:
