Breaking Down Patriots-Colts: Key Personnel Matchups To Watch

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There are certain things to look forward to in November.

Turkey, Black Friday (if you're not working), Turkey (leftovers edition), and the best tryptophan-induced nap of the year. 

But one thing I missed as a football fan last year is the seemingly inevitable showdown between the Colts and Patriots with an undefeated record on the line.

Last year the 4-4 Colts welcomed the 5-3 Patriots as a hobbled Peyton Manning took on Tom Brady's replacement. It was one of the few times this decade the two teams took each other on without it feeling like a midseason Super Bowl.

Manning ultimately found his way to the MVP while the Patriots missed the playoffs, but it was an occasion lacking in the usual circumstance.

This Sunday, that flair is back as the undefeated Colts will take on the resurgent 6-2 Patriots.

Manning is playing as well as ever, Belichick is having a vintage season as coach of a group of players coming together as a group, Brady seems to have rebounded nicely, and all the stars are aligned for another classic matchup.

But these games go so far beyond Brady and Belichick and Manning. Though I'll discuss the impact of those players as well, let's look at some of the other positional battles for Sunday where the margin of victory will truly be eked out.

Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney vs. Nick Kaczur and Sebastian Vollmer

The stellar defensive end combination of Freeney and Mathis provides an incredible amount of bite and big play potential when the Colts line up in their standard four-man line.

Freeney, though he's been fighting injuries the last couple years, is consistently one of the fastest rushers off the edge.

To his sizzle you can add Mathis' pop. Mathis may be the premier strip-sack artist in the game. He's not necessarily the most consistently dominant force on that side, but if he gets to the quarterback, it's very likely he'll knock the ball out.

It's going to be especially difficult because the Patriots will still be without left tackle Matt Light.

In Light's place has stepped rookie Sebastian Vollmer. Vollmer is an interesting story. A bruising 6'8'', 315 lb lineman from Germany, Vollmer only started playing football when he was 14 yet has developed considerably, especially this season.

Under offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, he's managed to protect Brady's blindside despite being thrown headlong into the starter's role with Light inactive.

Still, Freeney's speed and considerable library of pass rushing moves can give even the most talented tackle fits. Vollmer's size advantage will give the Patriots the opportunity to run hard to that side, but in pass protection he'll have to be especially good if Brady and the offense want to get anything going.

Vollmer and the rest of the line did well to protect Brady from Miami's pass rushers this past weekend, but they'll face an even tougher test this weekend.

How they fare will go a long way to determine how successful the Patriots are as an offense.

Brandon McGowan and Gary Guyton versus Dallas Clark

One of the more puzzling personnel decisions last week—next to Miami man-covering Randy Moss once again—was Houston's attempt to use rookie linebacker Brian Cushing to cover Dallas Clark one-on-one all game.

Clark's final line? 16 targets, 14 receptions, 117 yards.

Cushing managed to defend one pass but was largely a victim of Clark's rare combination of size and speed.

Yet, despite Clark's considerable talent, he's not the first top-tier tight end the Patriots have faced this year and, unlike Houston, the Patriots are somewhat better equipped to stop Clark.

Clark is most effective because he combines the speed of a wide receiver with the size and blocking ability of a classic tight end. It's a wonderful hybrid position that has developed over the last two decades as passing games have become easier to execute.

Already this season the Patriots have faced two such tight ends: Tony Gonzales and Kellen Winslow.

While those two are perhaps less speedy than Clark, the Patriots covered both by having safety Brandon McGowan play man-to-man and shading help to his side.

The question is whether McGowan has the athleticism to stay with Clark the same way he shut down Winslow and Gonzales. The Patriots may also utilize speedy linebacker Gary Guyton, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any linebacker at the 2008 combine, to assist in the coverage.

It's especially interesting to watch because both McGowan and Guyton entered the league as undrafted free agents and have played their way into starting roles. 

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