For the Indianapolis Colts Week 10 matchup, they head across the Atlantic Ocean to square off against the New England Patriots at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany. The last game of the 2023 NFL international series isn’t a great one, records-wise, but it could be fun for Colts fans. With that in mind, let’s make some bold Colts-Patriots Week 10 predictions.
The Colts are coming off a big win against the Carolina Panthers where Gardner Minshew and company finally topped their three-game skid, albeit against the worst team in the league this year. The good news is, that another team in the running for the worst squad in the NFL, the Patriots, are on deck this week.
Mac Jones and the Patriots have played the teams in the AFC East tough, getting wins over the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. However, against the rest of the league, they’ve looked terrible. Despite Bill Belichick playing the Colts all the time in the Tom Brady-Peyton Manning era and the fact that the Colts were once in the AFC East, this New England team doesn’t know the Colts like that.
So, ahead of this Colts-Patriots matchup in Germany, let’s make some bold Colts Week 10 predictions.
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Kenny Moore goes off (again)
There’s a simple formula from last week’s games that leads to this first bold Colts Week 10 prediction. First, Indianapolis cornerback Kenny Moore was incredible last week, picking off two balls and returning both for touchdowns. Second, Mac Jones threw his ninth interception, tying him with Sam Howell, Josh Allen, and Jimmy Garoppolo for most in the NFL this season.
Therefore, doing the math, Moore should wreak havoc in the Colts secondary once again in this game.
Maybe the formula isn’t quite as easy as that in real life, but the results will be. Jones is prone to the big mistake, which is why he’s never lived up to his high first-round billing in New England. And while the Colts defense had been disappointing at times in 2023, Moore is at least a Pro Bowl if not an All-Pro talent.
Moore will be a big factor in this game, and the big prediction is that, for the second week in a row, Moore will make two interceptions and this time he only takes one back to the house.
Jonathan Taylor has his best game of the season
The Patriots strength is on defense this season. They boast the No. 5 scoring defense in the league, but they are 22nd in yards allowed. They are better against the run than the pass, but Jonathan Taylor is due for a breakout game.
Two weeks ago, against the New Orleans Saints — another team with a solid defense — Taylor had 12 carries for 95 yards. He’s also had 18, 12, and 18 carries in the last three Colts contests.
For the second bold Colts Week 10 prediction, let’s say that Taylor has his best game of the season and rushes at least 20 times for over 100 yards.
If the Colts control the tempo of the game by pumping it to Taylor, Minshew can make a few big plays in the passing game, and Moore does indeed have another pick or two the Colts should be able to win this game over in Europe.
Colts 20, Patriots 10
The final verdict here is that the Colts win and do so comfortably. German fans got to see an excellent game this week with two of the best teams in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, doing battle.
This week won’t be that.
This will be a grind-it-out win for the Colts because the Patriots simply can’t stop them if they play their game on Sunday. And head coach Shane Steichen should be able to put together a game plan to do just that.
If the Colts fulfill this final bold Week 10 prediction and even their record at 5-5, the rest of the season gets interesting as the team heads into its bye during Week 11.
The Wild Card teams — the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and Pittsburgh Steelers — are all 5-3, and as AFC North mates, they all play each other down the stretch. This offers a golden opportunity for a team or two in another division to sneak into the playoffs. Plus, the Colts go head-to-head with the Bengals and Steelers in Weeks 14 and 15.
It won’t be an easy road to travel, but if the Colts hope to have any chance at the playoffs it all starts in Germany this week with a resounding win over the Patriots.
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