AFC Championship Game 2015: Latest Comments, Predictions for Colts vs. Patriots

So they meet again.

Really, it would be easier to pull out notes from about a decade ago to talk about the AFC Championship Game.

Here are the Indianapolis Colts, led by a quarterback with something to prove as he heads to Foxborough. Here are the New England Patriots, coached by one of the best minds in the sport's history and led by a quarterback who is on his way to being one of the best of all time.

The home team is notably favored Sunday, but that in no way excuses missing the contest. Capable of magic on any given play, both Andrew Luck and Tom Brady have every intention of going to the Super Bowl and will pull out all the stops to realize that desire.

2015 AFC Championship Odds and Schedule 

Date	Matchup	Start Time (ET)	Network	Odds (O/U)
Sunday, January 18	Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots	6:30 p.m.	CBS	NE -7 (54)

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and accurate as of 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 16. 

What They're Saying

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Sunday is a quarterback showcase through and through, but a large portion of the chatter surrounds New England running back Jonas Gray. 

Who?

Gray, that guy who is now infamous with fantasy football owners for the "Jonas Gray Game," his shredding of the Indianapolis defense for 201 yards and four scores in a 42-20 win back in Week 11.

Despite the outburst and his sudden lack of playing time since, Gray is a focal point of media sessions, where he has emphasized the point that the Colts are better this time around.

“They’re playing with a lot more momentum. They got a few key guys back in a few areas—rallying to the ball, they’re tackling better, more physical," Gray said, per ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss. "Overall, this is going to be the best defense we’ve played all year.”

Enough of that, though. Back to the quarterbacks—Brady continues to heap much of the same praise on the opposition, as captured by Michael Whitmer of The Boston Globe:

"

They’ve done a number on a lot of teams this year. They have a good rush, they’ve got a couple good edge guys, really athletic linebackers, and one of their corners [Vontae Davis] is in the Pro Bowl. Two experienced players in the secondary, Mike Adams had a great game against us last time, [Greg] Toler’s had a great year, really an underrated player in my estimation.

"

Luck's complementary defense is worthy of praise, but more impressive is the play of his offense, which just stormed into Denver and dropped 24 on Peyton Manning and the Broncos in an upset.

"I think we're playing good team ball," said Luck, per ESPN.com. "We're feeding off each other. Offensively we're making enough plays to put some points on the board."

With both teams in full stride, anything is possible Sunday in Foxborough.

Prediction

Remember that bit about Gray? 

It may be ridiculous to expect anything from him in the AFC title game, but his outburst back in the first meeting between these two teams exemplifies what makes all the difference when they collide—coaching.

Recent encounters prove that the Patriots and Bill Belichick know how to take care of business against the Colts, as ESPN Stats & Info illustrates:

There was no way for the Colts to know that Gray would be the focal point of the attack in Week 11.

Who is it this time? Gray? Old friend LeGarrette Blount? How about another random explosion from second tight end Tim Wright?

The point is that while New England comes out with an element of the unknown each week, the Colts really have no such diversity.

As ESPN, linked above, points out, the Colts are just 13-12 when Luck accounts for more than 80 percent of the team's total yards. He did just that in Week 11, throwing for 303 and two scores while leading the team in rushing, as sad as it sounds, with three carries for 15 yards.

While many trumpet how different the Colts are this time around, there is an unpredictable element to the Patriots, not to mention historical backing and home-field advantage, that suggests Brady and Belichick will cruise against a familiar foe.

Prediction: Patriots 28, Colts 20

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics via Pro Football Focus.