What’s at stake for Colts and Patriots on Sunday?
With the news about the job security of Bill Belichick surfacing, this week’s game suddenly has some juicy storylines to it. For New England, if the team cannot win and this is truly Belichick’s final game, what does this prove about the relationship between Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick? Would Kraft fire (arguably) the greatest NFL coach of all time mid-season after all he has done for the franchise? Who would replace him in New England, and would it be an in-house promotion? Or does Kraft already have a plan in place?
The names that come to mind for in-house candidates would be LB Coach Jerod Mayo, OC Bill O’ Brien, and AHC Joe Judge. Would Kraft swing for the fences and try to lure Titans HC Mike Vrabel out of Tennessee? Or would he start fresh with a brand-new face with no allegiance to Kraft or the Patriots Organization?
For Indianapolis, this is a monumental game for the continued trajectory of the season. If the Colts can win this game, they would move to 5-5 while heading into their Week 11 bye. After that, they have a winnable home game against an underwhelming Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad. With the Colts standing pat at the trade deadline, the staff believes they have a team that can compete now and in the future.
While the AFC South title is longshot to win after getting swept by Jacksonville, the Colts remaining schedule is pretty weak as the only teams with winning records are Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. With a victory, the Colts are firmly back in the playoff hunt and there is no fan base that would be happier than Indianapolis to send Bill Belichick with not only a loss home from Germany but potentially permanently from the New England Patriots sideline.