The New England Patriots have the second-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL due to their last five opponents combining for a .643 win percentage. The easiest matchup in that stretch, at least on paper, is Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium.
The Colts have a 5-7 record and they're technically still in the race for a wild card playoff spot in the AFC. After benching quarterback Anthony Richardson -- the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft -- earlier in the season, they have since gone back to the former University of Florida star over the last two games.
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Richardson is at his best when he escapes the pocket and makes plays running the football. He is 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds. He runs over defensive players like he's a linebacker, except he's the quarterback. Richardson still has lots of room for improvement as a passer, evidenced by his 47.1 completion percentage this season.
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After being dominated by the Dolphins' star-studded offense in last week's 34-15 loss in Miami, this week's matchup is a little more favorable for the Patriots defense.
"It's going to be a big day for (defensive coordinator) DeMarcus Covington to bounce back against an inaccurate quarterback who does have some mobility. You cannot allow Anthony Richardson to look capable," Tom E. Curran said on the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Talk Podcast.
So, what's the best game plan to stop Richardson from taking over?
"My guess is they're going to do this thing they always do against mobile quartebacks, and that's keep them in the pocket and crush rush, and make sure that he's hemmed in behind the center," Phil Perry said. "If you can make him a quarterback and make him play the position, the way it's drawn up in the playbook, you might be able to have some success there.
"My question is can you play the same zone style of defense that you might want to play against a mobile quarterbacks so you can have eyes in the backfield and still be on your assignments. That was such a problem for them in Miami -- communication pre- and post-snap. Man-to-man should be relatively simple, but zone might require you to do a little more talking.
"When that has been the case this year, especially as we've gone on these last two weeks against West Coast offenses in the Rams and Dolphins, the communication part of it has been a real struggle. You have to somehow balance that. Can you play the zone and communicate the way you want to in order to slow down this mobile quarterback with a massive arm?"
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Why is zone a much better option than man-to-man coverage versus a mobile quarterback such as Richardson?
"Just for a refresher, the reason why you would want to play zone against a guy like Anthony Richardson is he has run 10 times in each of the last two games, so if you're playing zone, you keep the quarterback in front of you, you're sinking to a spot, you keep eyes on the quarterback and you're paying attention to wide receivers as someone says 'pick him up,'" Curran said. "When you play man, you turn your back and stick with your man, and that gives Anthony Richardson more opportunity to run.
"Now, you're probably thinking, well, with Caleb Williams they sacked him nine times, just do the same thing. The difference is Caleb Williams was a reluctant runner at that juncture and kind of still is. He would rather stay in the pocket. So you can't really rush Anthony Richardson, so Phil's point about keeping him in the pocket makes sense because if you do afford him running lanes, he's going to beat you. So the Patriots almost have to play zone, and also communicate better."
Also in this episode:
- Is the Patriots offensive line holding them hostage?
- How much leash does Eliot Wolf deserve?
- What's your confidence the Patriots will fix the issues that plagued them against the Dolphins?
- Patriots-Colts preview
