The New England Patriots (4-4) host the Indianapolis Colts (3-4-1) on Sunday (1pm).

The Patriots fanbase has been arguing with itself about who should start at quarterback: Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe. While it’s not exactly an “embarrassment of riches”-type situation, it’s preferable to the sad face emoji QB-play coming out of Indianapolis. 

Ex-Falcon QB Matt Ryan was brought to the Colts as the veteran solution at the position (after the last solution Carson Wentz flamed out and headed to Washington). Ryan lasted all of 7 games, manning an anemic offense, before being benched for the season in favor of rookie QB Sam Ehlinger.

The move won’t change the Colts fortunes this season, but it will set them up for a more thorough rebuild, which probably should have started after Wentz left. Patriots HC Bill Belichick will look for ways to flummox the fledgling passer. No game is an automatic win for this year’s struggling squad in New England, but the odds are good if the offense can avoid turnovers and the defense can produce turnovers.

Last week’s action

The Patriots beat the Jets 22-17 at MetLife Stadium. It wasn’t always pretty, but New England’s second-year quarterback was able to muster a bit more consistency than New York’s second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. That’s nothing to sniff at because the Jets came into the game with an improbable 5-2 record, despite their uneven play and rocking Joe Flacco at quarterback for some games. 

Jets fans might blame the refs for an iffy roughing-the-passer call, but, in truth, the game had all the hallmarks of a classic, grind-it-out win for the Pats. Nothing special, just make sure to commit less errors than the other team.

Standouts on offense included RB Rhamondre Stevenson and WR Jacobi Meyers. Stevenson (16 rushes for 71 yards, 7 receptions for 72 yards) continues to look like the 1a RB after fellow running back Damien Harris took a backseat in the rotation after returning from injury. Meyers, on the other hand, dominated the receivers group, hauling in nine catches and moving the chains all day.

Standouts on defense included veteran CB Devin McCourty, who punished Zach Wilson for two out of his three interceptions in the game. The Jets’ self-inflicted wounds proved too much to overcome and the game tilted decisively the Pats’ way by the second half, despite the impression that Wilson’s garbage time yardage might give.

What we’re wondering

Anyone have an idea about how to fix the Patriots’ offensive line? QB Mac Jones has struggled for consistency all season and the six sacks he took in the Jets game are exactly what he doesn’t need. The coaching staff benched OT earlier in the season after lackluster play. If he was the problem, they sure haven’t found a replacement solution. With the trade deadline hitting at 4pm on Tuesday, maybe we’ll see some fresh talent walk through the door to save the day.

How serious is the WR DeVante Parker injury? The receiver was starting to blossom within the offense and losing time in the middle of the season would be a setback. The early reports suggest the knee injury he suffered in the first quarter (did not return) of the Jets game is not serious, but how much or how little time he might miss has yet to be determined.

How does HC Bill Belichick tweak his gameplan to face the Jets in two weeks? The Pats beat the Jets in Week 8, and the two teams will face each other again in Week 10. The question can wait until then, but it will be interesting to see how each team will surprise the other with such a small interval between games.

What we’re watching for

We’d like to see the Patriots get more working on offense outside WR Meyers and RB Stevenson. This isn’t the most talented football team we’ve seen but there are pieces to work with. Plus, HC Bill Belichick, who just passed George Halas on the list of all-time winning coaches, should have some rabbits in the hat to pull out. Historically, his teams start slow and take a little while to build up steam throughout the season. This was true even in the Brady years. We’re watching for a more diversified attack that spreads the ball around and gets the role players involved.

The Matt Judon show is always something to watch in the linebacker corp. New England won’t be sending many players to the Pro Bowl, but Judon is exceptional. He pulls off a wow-play every game and he’ll find a way to do it again with the Colts.

Speaking of exceptional players, the Colts’ RB Jonathan Taylor is an elite talent who has not been putting up elite numbers in a moribund offense. Every and any game could be his breakout game this season. His team could use the help against the Patriots this Sunday, provided he’s recovered from the scrape he suffered in the previous Jaguars game. Otherwise, it’s the Nyheim Hines show, which is not a show worth watching.

For Boston Fans

WATCH: Boston, Mass. WBZ-TV Ch. 4

LISTEN: 98.5 The Sports Hub

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