New England Patriots Gameday: The night Julian Edelman returns to football
The New England Patriots (2-2) take on Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts (1-3) in a Thursday night showdown at Gillette Stadium.
The New England Patriots come into Thursday night’s matchup with the Indianapolis Colts riding high off a 38-7 thrashing of the Miami Dolphins. If they hope to build off that momentum, they have to overcome a short week and stay mentally focused against Andrew Luck and company.
While the Colts will be without two of their top weapons in T.Y. Hilton and tight end Jack Doyle, they still present a challenge for the Patriots’ defense. Obviously, they have to find a way to force the ball out of Luck’s hand and make the Colts a one-dimensional team.
Most importantly, they have to get off the field on third downs, which is something they were much improved in last Sunday.
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Offensively, Tom Brady will have all his weapons. As reported earlier in the day by ESPN, Rob Gronkowski will be active to play. Thursday night also marks the return of Julian Edelman. That means the New England Patriots could have Gronkowski, Edelman and Josh Gordon all on the field. Brady hasn’t had those kinds of weapons in some time.
As far as Edelman goes, the 32-year-old wide receiver will have some rust. But, just having him out there should catapult the Patriots’ offense tremendously. Although his favorite target has been off the field for more than a season, Brady still expects the best from No. 11.
"“We’ve played so much football together I really have no doubt of where he’s going to be or what he’s capable of,” Brady said, via Boston.com. “He’s been a great player for our team and I think everyone’s excited to have him back. Anytime you have great player it’s going to help what you’re doing.”"
In all, it will be interesting to see what the Patriots do with Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski and Josh Gordon in Thursday night’s matchup.
How to watch Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Kickoff: Thursday, October 4, 2018 8:20 p.m. ET
TV: FOX or NFL Network (Check local listings)
Streaming: fuboTV
Week 5 Prediction:
Andrew Luck has struggled against the New England Patriots. He enters the Week 5 matchup 0-5 against Bill Belichick. Expect those struggles to continue on Thursday night.
The Indianapolis Colts will make some plays offensively, but the Patriots defense will do just enough to get off the field without giving up touchdowns. Without any good outside threats to worry about, the Patriots will have to focus on the backs and tight end Eric Ebron.
Next. New England Patriots: 3 ways Julian Edelman impacts Tom Brady’s offense. dark
I expect the defense to pick up where they left off against the Dolphins. I also expect the offense to have a bit more flow to it. Again, just having Julian Edelman present on the field will make a major difference. Add James White, Rob Gronkowski and an effective ground attack by Sony Michel and the New England Patriots win this one 34-17.