Colts Evolving into Complete Team, Have Fighting Chance to Upset Patriots

The Indianapolis Colts have a real chance of upsetting the New England Patriots in Sunday's AFC Championship Game and advancing to Super Bowl XLIX.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Colts are clicking at the right time and are evolving into a complete football team when it matters the most, and it should surprise no one if and when they go into Foxborough and knock off the big bad Patriots.

Don't tell us about last year's divisional round of the postseason, when the Patriots crushed the Colts 43-22 behind a dominating rushing performance. And don't even think about bringing up New England's Week 11 win over Indianapolis, keyed by—you guessed it—a dominant rushing performance.

This current Colts team—the one that will take the field on Sunday with visions of AFC glory dancing through their head—is tougher, stronger, smarter and more well-equipped to handle adversity than the outfit that got smashed by New England in the last two lopsided encounters.

For Indianapolis, the evolution represents more than just superstar quarterback Andrew Luck. No one in their right mind could question Luck's greatness, but the Colts' foibles have never revolved around their all-world passer—they've concerned his supporting cast, which has severely lacked at times.

Over the course of this season—and really, last season as well—the oft-repeated mantra said that the Colts had Luck and not much else. And for the vast majority of the season, it wasn't an unfair statement. But after last week's stunning upset of the Broncos in Denver, that school of thought no longer holds any water. The players around Luck have started to step up in a major way.

Indianapolis' much-maligned offensive line sparkled against Denver's imposing pass rush, allowing a grand total of zero sacks. In fact, Luck has only been brought down twice in the club's last three games, and the success of the team's fashioned-together line has been a major reason why the Colts stand on the precipice of the Super Bowl. 

Colts coach Chuck Pagano waxed poetic about the line's effort to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com:

"

Talk about a tough test and a tall order. Joe Reitz coming in the last couple weeks, and Von Miller is a pretty good pass rusher. DeMarcus Ware is a pretty good pass rusher. They’re Pro Bowlers for a reason. To come out of there without a sack, a couple pressures and a couple hurries here and there and (four quarterback hits), that was a phenomenal job by that group. You go left to right – A.C. (Anthony Castonzo) and Jack Mewhort, a rookie who’s fought through that rookie wall and plays nasty and tough and gritty and all that stuff. Khaled (Holmes) has come in and played well. Lance (Louis) has come in and played well.

"

Throughout Luck's career, it seems as if he's been running for his life more often than not. That has changed, and the offensive line deserves plaudits for keeping Luck upright.

Then, there's the improved run game. There's no question that back Trent Richardson—brought over in the ballyhooed trade with Cleveland last year—was the albatross slung around the offense's collective neck. With Richardson now firmly tethered to the bench, Dan "Boom" Herron is receiving the lion's share of time in the backfield. And much like the road less traveled in the famous Robert Frost poem, he has made all the difference.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

In two playoff games this year, Herron has carried the ball 35 times for 119 yards and rushed for two touchdowns. He's also caught 18 passes—that's nine per game for the mathematically challenged. He's helped change the tenor of the Colts offense, bringing toughness and physicality where Richardson once brought hesitation and tip-tapping. 

The Indianapolis pass rush has also emerged in the team's run to the AFC Championship Game. The defense was able to pressure Peyton Manning last week, led by rookie defensive end Jonathan Newsome, who has racked up three sacks in his last three games. And with the Colts rush defense also stepping up (they kept Denver under 100 yards on the ground last week), the sky is the limit for this team.

With the offensive line, rushing attack and pass rush all flashing over the past few weeks, Luck finally has the horses around him (no pun intended) so that he doesn't have to do everything to secure victory, and that should be a terrifying prospect for Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

Simply put: Luck is the finest young quarterback in the NFL, a veritable destroyer of worlds, capable of bringing even the most powerful football overlords to their knees. You think Luck will be scared of throwing the ball at Patriots star cornerback Darrelle Revis? And more importantly, do you think Revis will be capable of shutting down speedy Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton? 

In Week 11, Revis blanketed Reggie Wayne, but with the 36-year-old a non-factor in Indianapolis' offense, logic points to Revis covering Hilton. And while Revis is undeniably great, it's hard to imagine him keeping the explosive Hilton under wraps all game.

And Luck has other emerging weapons in the passing attack as well, from tight end Coby Fleener to rookie receiver Donte Moncrief. The Indianapolis offense is loaded, and Luck serves as the otherworldly trigger man.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

New England will be playing at home, and the Patriots have earned the right to be considered favorites to beat the Colts and advance to the sixth Super Bowl of the quarterback Tom Brady and coach Belichick era. But don't listen to anyone who tells you that this game won't be close, and that's because these aren't the same old Colts. They've evolved into a complete team as the calendar has turned to January.

That's why Luck and the Colts have a real chance to continue their stunning evolution on the first Sunday in February—in Super Bowl XLIX.