Colts linebacker gives away defensive game plan against Patriots, Mac Jones

Author Alex Barth

December 13th, 2021 6:57 PM

Coming off their bye week, the Colts have plenty of time to prepare for the Patriots and come up with a game plan to stop Mac Jones. It’s a game plan they feel so good about, apparently, that they don’t mind letting the Patriots and Jones know what it is ahead of time.

Monday afternoon, Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke was asked about how Jones compares to other quarterbacks his team has faced this year. In that answer, he gave quite the preview of what to expect on Saturday.

“I think he’s good. He’s confident back there. He’s got a good command of the offense,” Okereke said, before dipping into the bulletin board material. “But we’re really going to try to make the game one-dimensional and see what he can do.”

Basically, the Colts game plan is to make the rookie beat them. Head coach Frank Reich and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus don’t want to see a repeat of what happened two weeks ago in Buffalo.

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  Looking at it objectively, is that the right scheme to deploy to stop the Patriots' offense? So far this season, New England is averaging 6.9 yards per attempt, which ranks 8th in the NFL. Meanwhile, they've run the ball for 4.2 yards per carry, which ranks 18th.
  
  Other teams have deployed this defensive strategy against the Patriots. The Tennessee Titans were fairly successful in stopping the run against the Patriots in Week 12 for the majority of the game. Jones responded by completing 23 of 32 passes for a career-high 310 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
  
  Of course, it's not as simple as just 'making the game one-dimensional' or duplicating what the Titans did three weeks ago. The Colts will add their own wrinkles to the game plan, none of which Okereke cared to share on Monday.
  
  Saturday's game will be the first meaningful one between the Patriots and Colts in almost 10 years. Adding a little gas to the fire only adds to the drama. Finally - as Colts GM Chris Ballard said in 2018 - "the rivalry is back on."

MORE: Get ready for plenty of yellow on Saturday

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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Author Alex Barth

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Mac Jones,New England Patriots,NFL,patriots,Patriots Colts