New England Patriots Set To Face Indianapolis Colts In Divisional Round

Jan 4, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass during the fourth quarter of the 2013 AFC wild card playoff football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lucas Oil Stadium. Colts defeated the Chiefs 45-44. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals fell to the San Diego Chargers by a score of 27-10, which means that the New England Patriots will welcome the Indianapolis Colts to town, in their first playoff game of the year. Kickoff is at 8:15 ET, and it will be televised on CBS. The Chargers will visit Denver next Sunday, in what will be the third time those two teams have met this year.

Here are a few quick thoughts on the Colts and Pats matchup.

• Two of the best quarterbacks in the league will be squaring off, as Luck and Brady prepare to do battle. Brady is the proven veteran, while Luck is the young phenom, who may rise to the top of the NFL once Brady and Manning retire.
• Both of these two teams have fought through a lot of adversity this year, making both of them ‘teams of destiny’ candidates. I am sure that both sides feel that this is their year, because they have endured so much on the injury front.
• The Colts defense finished 20th in the league this year, while the Pats checked in at 26th. Tom Brady and Andrew Luck will probably have great games, and I have a feeling that this one will be a shootout, in what could go down as another Colts versus Pats playoff classic.
• Momentum is a tricky thing, as the Colts could use their 28 point comeback yesterday against the Chiefs, as a tool to beat New England. We have seen this countless times in the past, most notably when the Pats fell victim to the Giants in two separate Super Bowls.
• What I think will ultimately put the Patriots over the top in this game (aside from Brady and Belichick), is the running game that they have. The Pats have three great running backs they can throw onto the field, including LeGarrette Blount, a man that has been running possessed over the last couple of games. Meanwhile, the Colts struggle to move the ball on the ground, which could allow Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich to tee off on Andrew Luck.