Patriots Pound the Colts with Six Rushing Touchdowns

The game started with a turnover early after Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck stared down LaVon Brazill and was picked off by the New England Patriots' cornerback Alfonzo Dennard. Dennard took the interception down to the Colts' two yard line. Seconds later New England's LaGarrette Blount had his first of four touchdowns all while 13:45 remained in the first quarter.

A Colts three and out led to a long drive by the Patriots where Blount scored his second touchdown of the game. It wasn't until Indianapolis's third possession that they were able to get a score on New England, the touchdown came off of a beautiful 38-yard connection from Luck to Brazill.

A Patriots possession stretching from the first quarter to 10:58 in the second quarter ended in the third Blount touchdown of the night and made the game 21-7. The Colts fought back, but only came up with a 36-yard field goal, leaving 5:40 on the board for Tom Brady and New England.

With just over two minutes left in the first half, the Patriots kept their offense on the field for a fourth down from their own 49 before shuffling their punt team onto the field and taking a delay of game penalty. On the ensuing punt, the ball sailed clear over Patriots punter Ryan Allen's head and was not recovered until the two yard line when Allen attempted the throw the ball, but ended up creating a safety instead.

Then it was Colts ball on the following safety punt with 2:12 left in the half, three timeouts and an opportunity to score before giving the ball back to New England after halftime. A deep pass from Luck to Brazill was knocked away and would have been intercepted if Dennard hadn't fought the ball out of his own player's hands. The ill advised pass coming from pressure provided by former Denver Broncos defensive tackle Sealver Siliga.

Indianapolis would continue to chip away at the defense prior to Stanley Havili bobbling a pass that New England linebacker Dont'a Hightower snatched for an interception with 1:14 left in the first half. The Colts who turned the ball over 14 times in the regular season had four turnovers last weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs and two in the first half of this game.

Through the first half New England kept Indianapolis humble by holding T.Y. Hilton to two catches for 17 yards and Indianapolis's rushing game to 33 yards.

The second half started with a Patriots' three and out, allowing for a 60 yard Colts drive resulting in a field goal. New England took the resulting kickoff only to their own 12 yard line, from there Brady connected to Danny Amendola for 53-yards. The home team would spend the next four minutes inching closer from the Indianapolis 35 yard finally scoring on a Stevan Ridley three yard run making the score 27-15 Patriots. Choosing to go for two was a smart idea and New England soon quickly made the score 29-15 going to the Ridley well again.

Three plays later the Colts answered, Luck to Hilton for 46-yards to New England's 35 and a 35-yard pass to Brazill the next play made the score 22-29. A one touchdown ball game, with the pendulum swinging back with Indianapolis like momentum.

The third quarter ended just like that and as the NFL attempted to decide whether it was Indianapolis or the San Diego Chargers that they wanted to crown their new media darlings-- the Colts started the quarter with the ball and an opportunity for Luck's ninth career fourth quarter comeback.

LaGarrette Blount was not done yet though, his fourth touchdown of the night came on a 73-yard touchdown and blew the scoreboard up making it 36-22 Patriots. The Colts seventh playoff turnover this season came on the next drive when Luck gifted linebacker Jamie Collins an interception, Collins wasn't quite at Star Wars numbers, but already had a sack on the night at that point.

Amongst crowd chants of, 'We want Blount', Ridley scored his second touchdown of the game, with 11:12 left in the fourth Brady had yet to throw a touchdown, but the Patriots were leading 43-22.

The fourth quarter played out much like that old Charlie Daniels commercial for Geico set in that really nice restaurant and the guy is playing the violin. Daniels comes in out of nowhere and plays the violin so hard and so well that bow hairs start snapping. He hands it back to the violinist and says, "That's how you do it son."

That is what Brady did to Luck. The best news for the Colts was that it was Brady, not Peyton Manning who handed them the beat down. The clock would only continue to wind down and garbage time would lead to conversations of New England traveling to Denver or San Diego playing in New England depending on the outcome of tomorrow's game.

All in the Patriots ran the ball 46 times and passed the ball 23 times and the game ended with Luck's fourth interception and second to Dennard.