From ESPN.com:
The Colts have played a tougher schedule. Their seven opponents have a combined 27-24 record. The Patriots' eight opponents have a combined 24-34 record. The Colts have won two tough road games, at Jacksonville and at Tennessee, while the Patriots' lone impressive road victory was against the Dallas Cowboys.
• The Colts, according to the scoring stats, have a better defense. The Colts are giving up 14.6 points per game, second best in the league, while the Patriots are giving up 15.9 points per game. From a yardage standpoint, the Patriots have an edge, allowing 268.5 yards per game compared to 272.9 for the Colts.
• The Patriots' offense is putting up huge numbers, leading the league in scoring at 41.4 points a game, but four of their games have come against the bottom four defensive teams in the league. The Jets (29th), Bills (30th), Bengals (31st) and Browns (32nd) all fell victim to the New England offense. Those games with the Patriots have something to do with why they're down so low, but they have also struggled against other offenses. The Dolphins, another Patriots victim, are ranked 24th in total defense. New England has also faced just one top 10 defense, the Cowboys at No. 6.
By contrast, the Colts offense, which is averaging 32 points per game, has faced just two defenses ranked lower than 20 -- the Carolina Panthers (21st) and Denver Broncos (25). They have faced two top 10 defenses, the fifth-ranked Tennessee Titans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who come in at No. 8.
These stats dont tell the full story. First off when the colts played the texans the Texan's where without there best pro bowl reciever and Both there starting running backs. When they played the jags they faced a backup qb who was absolutely putrid. Coupled with a mediocere wr core. This past week they faced an anemic Panthers Offense with Vinny freaking Testaverdi at the helm. They only beat the titans by 2 points when they played them. The pats blew out the cowboys minus both there starting running backs, there best tight end and also Richard Seymour. How is that a less impressive road win
The cowboys are much better then the titans or the jags.
While the colts have faced better defenses , they have also faced teams with lackluster offenses. If a team cant score the d is on the field for way to many snaps making them highly ineffective later in the game.The pats never "struggled" vs teams like Miami. Miami got all there points in garbage time when they where down by over 30 points. Simply throwing out rankings and ignoring the particular game is misleading. I love how this writer says the pats laying points on rival defenses has something to do with there low rankings. Check out where the skins top defense was rated before last week, and where it is rated after giving up 52 points this past week.
Total rankings have the pats d ahead of the colts vs superior Offensive teams right now. Both teams have similar situations in different ways. I don't know how people expect the pats defense to play at full tilt when they are up by 40 at the half like in Miami. The colts are a very very good team , but this analysis does not tell the full story.
The writer fails to bring up a single point I just made. I dont know how a impressive two point win on the road vs the titans is better then a blowout vs a better Dallas team on the road minus two starting running backs, a great tight end, and a all pro defensive player. Lets see how the colts would do vs the titans minus Addai, Keith, Dallas Clark and Dwight Freeney.
The colts can beat the pats. They are a great team. The pats can beat the colts they are a great team.
