Collision Central

You could hear the collision through the NFL Network Broadcast. Or, rather collisions, from the Indianapolis Colts against defenseless New England Patriots Wide Receivers. Unfortunately, head-to-head collisions are a part of the NFL due to the amount of contact on an NFL field. What was most shocking about the Patriots Week 15 wasn’t the uncharacteristic number of penalties from the Patriots or Jonathan Taylor breaking free at the end of the game to seal the Colts victory, but two separate helmet-to-helmet hits happened without any form of intervention from the referees. The NFL’s lack of safe officiating resulted in two Patriots receivers helping off the field in two different instances and further proved the NFL’s is content with players head-hunting if the refs don't see it. Therefore, there needs to be a sky official to determine if players lead with their helmets.

Week 16 Patriots Breakdown

It was a poor game from a Patriots perspective. The team did nothing in the first half other than have multiple Special Teams mistakes, including a blocked punt. Factor in carelessness ball-handling by all the Patriots offensive players, and the only shot the team had been an ill-fated comeback attempt towards the end of the game. Mac Jones threw two interceptions and was far from perfect, especially in the first half. What was promising was how he made more sound decisions in the second half and was the primary factor behind their comeback attempt. The Patriots didn't score until they were down 17 at the half and played from behind most of the game.

Offensive Inepitude

The Patriots’ running game was ineffective for most of the game, which is unexpected considering they have one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, and their offense is run-oriented, proven two weeks earlier. The Colts did exactly what they said they were going to do: make the Patriots offense one-dimensional and force Mac Jones to throw the ball. Jones tends to stare down Tight End Hunter Henry, his favorite Red Zone target with eight touchdowns, which resulted in Darius Leonard’s interception. With the help of some injury luck from Damien Harris’ hamstring injury, which forced him to be ruled inactive for the game, the Colts pounced on the Patriots mistakes. This was Mac Jones’ first taste of adversity in an NFL game, and he did show promise, as noted above. Even though there is much to improve, expect a better showing against Buffalo in Foxborough in Week 16.

Call to Action

The NFL must act towards the Colts players who led with their helmets, especially Andrew Sendejo. The fact that two players received helmet-to-helmet hits without any form of penalization is ridiculous and shouldn’t happen in an NFL game in 2021, especially in a game that means so much to both teams. The helmet-to-helmet hits did not receive media attention, which speaks to how the national media sees the Patriots.

Week 16 Preview

For the Patriots to have any shot at the one-seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, they must clean up their game and force their opponents into making mistakes. The running game will happen if the team puts in the work and shows up each day with high energy. This year’s iteration of the Patriots is different from years past because there isn’t much consistency from their coaching or personnel decisions, making the team a fascinating wild card down the stretch. If the Patriots can defeat Buffalo in Week 16 and win out, the division is theirs, and a potential Super Bowl run is in the cards. After this ineffective Colts loss, there is reason to doubt whether the Patriots are an elite team in the NFL.

Reference Page

• GettyImages

• Pro Football Reference