3 things Colts must do to get a win over Patriots in Germany

2. Play conservative, take points when you can

The NFL has been trending towards a more aggressive approach when it comes to going for it on fourth down and taking more chances in situations you used to not take risks in. But when you are playing a team that has not been capitalizing on opportunities and has as sluggish of an offense as New England has, you may just have to play that conservative brand of football.

Normally on the goal line, fourth down is a situation where teams are more inclined to go for it, but against a New England team that may only score 20 points or less, you do not need much offensive output to beat this team. When you are playing a team like this, dominating does not mean scoring a bunch of points, it can more just mean controlling momentum and time of possession.

Shane Steichen should not try to outcoach Bill Belichick here, you just have to make sound football decisions time in and time out. Belichick, while his team has struggled, is still the same football mind that led the Patriots dynasty to Super Bowl after Super Bowl.

Also, when you have a quarterback like Gardner Minshew who is more of a pocket passer although he has used his wheels a few times this season, Belichick knows how to exploit those players. So in the first half, this passing attack may just be shut down, so it is up to this team to adjust and make the necessary decisions to counteract a coaching masterclass from Belichick, the future Hall of Famer.