The 2024 season is in the home stretch, with the Patriots preparing for Week 11 (already?) and their matchup with the Rams this upcoming Sunday. They have a bumpy road to end the season, with three divisional games left to play, most notably playing the Bills twice in three weeks.
But before they get to that point, they'll be playing against a few teams that could bring home more wins for New England. One of those teams is the Colts, who have been having a chaotic season so far, with drama surrounding their quarterback room over the past month.
Despite having a highly regarded young player in Anthony Richardson, the Colts decided it was time to bench the second-year player last month and replace him with 39-year-old Joe Flacco. The seasoned veteran came out playing well to start, winning three of his first four games under center, only to follow that up with three straight losses since.
It's forced the Colts to re-evaluate their decision to make Flacco the starter, prompting them to make another quarterback change heading into Week 11.
The Colts' quarterback change means the Patriots will need to prepare differently for Week 13
On Wednesday morning, the Colts announced they would swap Flacco for Anderson in Week 11 and keep him as the starter for the rest of the season. Whether it was due to the veteran's losses piling up or they felt Anderson deserved another shot, since many believed his benching was unjust, is not known.
However, this is a significant change for the Patriots in the weeks ahead of their matchup with Indianapolis.
Anthony Richardson started just 10 NFL games before being benched, but now returns and will be the starter for the rest of the season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2024
The Colts are adamant they have not given up on him, and coach Shane Steichen noted today he's seen Richardson make strides over the last two… pic.twitter.com/XHwYZ3thJD
Preparing to face a player like Flacco is one thing, but facing a dual-threat player like Richardson is entirely different.
The Patriots' defense has struggled against mobile quarterbacks in recent years, and describing Richardson as mobile would be putting it lightly. He has broken several records for his rushing yards and extending plays with his legs, which will be quite the test for the Patriots defensive line come game day.
One good thing could be Christian Barmore's return to the lineup, as Jerod Mayo said he should be back at practice this week or next. Having him on the defensive line would give them a far better chance at slowing Richardson down, therefore halting his production throughout the game.
Even if Barmore hasn't returned by Week 13, the Patriots defense has improved in recent weeks and should be better at slowing down a guy like Richardson by the time they meet up. They'll certainly need to be up to the task, as their offense has a lot of firepower that will need to be dealt with, including wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Jonathan Taylor.