The New England Patriots have fought injury after injury to key members of their offense and defense this season, arriving at a No. 2 seed and a bye week in the postseason. They will face a stiff test tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET though when Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts come to town. Watch the game on CBS or live stream it here. Colts fans can listen to Luck and his crew on 1070 The Fan, while Pats fans may turn their dials to 98.5 The Sports Hub.
The Colts are riding a magic wave into this game, having rebounded from a 38-10 deficit last week against the Chiefs to pull off one of the most shocking comebacks in playoffs history. The comeback caught the attention of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, but of course he'd been aware of Luck and co. all season.
"It was a tremendous performance coming back in the second half," Belichick said. "They did a really good job in all three areas of the game. This is a team that's well coached, that's had a real good season. They beat some of the best teams in the league, in both the AFC and the NFC. They've just been impressive."
While New England's injuries are well-publicized, the Colts suffered a nearly crippling loss in Reggie Wayne. T.Y. Hilton has stepped into his place as Luck's top target though, and Belichick believes Aqib Talib will have his hands full.
"He's productive at all three levels of the defense," Belichick said. "He's a vertical receiver, he's a good intermediate receiver and he's a good catch-and-run short receiver that can turn short plays into big plays."
With Rob Gronkowski out, the Patriots might be planning on using the running game more than a Tom Brady-led squad is expected to. Colts coach Chuck Pagano is ready.
"What LeGarrette is doing and Ridley and certainly with Shane coming in, and Bolden is no slouch. I mean, they've got a stable of guys that are all more than capable."
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