The Indianapolis Colts have their backs against the wall as they prepare to face the New Orleans Saints on Monday night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Indy has lost two straight after a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, and they are on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention. A loss to the Saints would almost certainly ensure that the Colts cannot reach the playoffs.

Perhaps even more ominously, the Colts have to face a Saints team that just hung 46 points on a vaunted San Francisco 49ers defense. Meanwhile, Indianapolis gave up 38 points to the Bucs.

Yet, there is reason to believe that the Colts could pull off a major upset against New Orleans.

Controlling the game

The Colts were a 10.5-point underdog against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5. They were coming off a bad home loss against the Oakland Raiders, while the Chiefs were still undefeated. But the Colts earned a 19-15 to break Kansas City's unbeaten streak.

How did they do it? By controlling the clock.

The Colts rushed for 180 yards and dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for over 37 of the 60 minutes in the contest. They need to employ a similar strategy against a Saints offense that is just as dangerous with quick-hitters and big plays.

Can Indy do this against a Saints defense that ranks fifth against the run? The Niners rushed for over 160 yards, but they had success because of a balanced attack that also involved some trickery.

Frank Reich needs to trust the guys up front and win the battle in the trenches early. If the Colts can churn out first downs, they stand a great chance at winning the game.

Getting to Brees

Why was Drew Brees so successful against the Niners? San Francisco did not sack Drew Brees once.

The Colts, on the other hand, are coming off a game in which they pressured Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston throughout the contest and helped force him into three interceptions. They also sacked Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill a whopping six times in Week 13.

Brees struggles to move the ball against pressure, as evidenced by a Falcons win over the Saints in Week 10 in which they brought him down six times and generated pressure on 35 percent of all dropbacks. He still completed 32-of-45 passes, but for only 287 yards.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
JC Latham (Alabama), Chris Braswell (Alabama not Jaguars), Cornelieus Johnson (Michigan) in action behind a New Orleans Saints logo with a 2024 NFL Draft background.

Dylan Bruton ·

Indy defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is known for being unpredictable in dialing up blitzes, but expect him to come heavy against Brees on Monday night.

Desperation

Simply put, the Colts have to win this game just to stay alive, but the Colts have also proved that they can win big road games.

Not to mention, their top guys are still battling. Although T.Y. Hilton is still banged up, he very well could play against the Saints. Anthony Castonzo, Darius Leonard, and Malik Hooker continue to play through injury. There is still plenty of fight.

One game at a time for the Colts: it starts in New Orleans.