Indianapolis Colts: 3 Standouts from Week 5 vs. Patriots

On Thursday night at Gillette Stadium, the Indianapolis Colts came up short vs. the New England Patriots. Who were the bright spots for Frank Reich’s team?

The last time the Indianapolis Colts won a game at Foxborough, Peyton Manning was the quarterback, Tony Dungy was the head coach and the team would finish the 2006 season as Super Bowl champions. Of course, the last time the Colts won a game in the series was 2009. Including a pair of postseason losses in 2013 and 2014, the New England Patriots had won seven consecutive outings in this series by the ridiculous combined score of 285-152.

And early on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium, it certainly appeared the problems in this setting would continue as quarterback Tom Brady and his club moved down the field effortlessly om the game’s first possession. The results were a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that consumed 6:02 of the clock. Brady hit wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson for a quick one-yard score and the Pats were off and running, 7-0.

The Colts weren’t nearly as fortunate the first time they got their hands on the ball. There was a four-yard gain by running back Nyheim Hines, a 10-yard sack of Andrew Luck and a dropped pass by tight end Eric Ebron. Later in the quarter, Luck orchestrated a long drive, but it resulted in zero points as Adam Vinatieri’s 38-yard field goal attempt hit the left crossbar.

Things would get slightly better. After falling behind 24-3 at intermission, Frank Reich’s team made it a seven-point game early in the fourth quarter. But the Colts simply made too many mistakes and wound up on the short end of a 38-24 score.

So which three players stood out for Indianapolis in this Thursday night showdown?