The Colts finally broke the seal last weekend against the Titans, beating them 27-13.  The Colts are 9-0 at home against the Texans, which should give them confidence tonight.  The Texans lost 28-13 against the Panthers last weekend, as they had a 7-game winning streak snapped.  The Texans punished the Colts 34-7 in Houston in the season opener.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts finally had a good gameplan last weekend when they were a running team first.  Look for the same thing tonight with Donald Brown being the main man, getting help from Joseph Addai and Delone Carter.  The Colts need to have a good running game to help slow the Texans’ pass rush a little bit, and give QB Dan Orlovsky a chance to make some plays in the air.  Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon could have a rough time against the Texans tonight as opposing QBs only have a 64.9 QB Rating against them this year.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Colts are going to have to tighten up their chinstraps tonight as the Texans are going to try to push them around in the running game.  Arian Foster and Ben Tate are likely both going to have heavy workloads against a Colts’ D that is allowing 138.7 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  If T.J. Yates has time to throw the ball he’s likely going to be really effective as the Colts are allowing a 104.5 QB Rating so far this year for opposing QBs.

PREDICTION:  TEXANS 23, COLTS 13

The Colts have played better since the bye week three weeks ago, but they still have not won a game.  The Colts lost to the Titans 27-10 in Tennessee in the first meeting between these two teams.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts are going to try to be more balanced in this game, but it won’t work if they continue to fall behind so early in games.  The Colts would like to run the ball with Donald Brown, Delone Carter and Joseph Addai against a Titans’ D that is giving up 121.8 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry.  The Colts should be able to pass the ball o.k. as long as Dan Orlovsky has time to throw the ball.  He will likely spread the ball around to Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Jacob Tamme in this game.  The Titans are giving up 240.4 yards passing per game this year, so there will be plays to be made by the Colts in the passing game.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Colts must stop Chris Johnson.  When he gets going, the Titans’ offense really performs at a high level.  The Colts are going to have to get after whoever starts at QB for the Titans (Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker), because if they have time to throw the ball, they are going to have success.  The Titans love to stretch the field throwing the ball to WR Nate Washington.  WRs Damian Williams and Lavelle Hawkins are also stepping up, so the Colts’ secondary is going to be tested once again this Sunday.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 24, COLTS 13

The Colts have shown signs of life since the bye week three weeks ago.  Sure, they have lost their last two games, but they have been competitive in them as the Patriots and Panthers outscored them 58-43.  The Ravens have won 3 games in a row and 5 of their last six games.  It’s going to likely be nasty for the Colts in Baltimore as the fans there still hate them for leaving town.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  The Ravens are really hard to run on as they are only allowing 88.8 yards rushing per game and 3.4 yards per carry.  Donald Brown, Joseph Addai and Delone Carter will have to fight for every yard they get this Sunday.  With all of this taken in, the Colts should just let Dan Orlovsky spread out the field and throw the ball 30-40 times this Sunday.  Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie and Jacob Tamme are still solid players and they will be tested big time this Sunday.  Opposing QBs only have a 67.5 QB Rating against the Ravens’ D, so Orlovsky is going to have to be careful with the football.

When the Ravens have the ball:  The Ravens rushed for 290 yards last weekend against the Browns, so Ray Rice and Ricky Williams are likely foaming at the mouth due to this weekend’s matchup against the Colts.  After all, the Colts are giving up 144.2 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry so far this year.  The Colts’ linebacking unit has been ransacked by injuries as of late.  I don’t see the Ravens only running the ball in this game though as they need to get Joe Flacco back on the right path.  Opposing QBs have a 109.2 QB Rating against the Colts’ D this year, so Flacco could have a good game.  WRs Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith and TEs Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta give the Colts a lot to worry about tomorrow night.

PREDICTION:  RAVENS 38, COLTS 6

The Colts showed some life last weekend even though they lost to the visiting Panthers 27-19.  The Patriots smashed the Eagles in Philly last weekend 38-20.  The Patriots now have a 3-game winning streak in which they have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 109-39!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts are turning to Dan Orlovsky at QB in this game.  This is likely going to be a nice improvement for the passing game.  The Colts are still a pass first team for some reason, so look for Orlovsky to try to attack the Patriots’ secondary (allowing 307.5 yards passing per game) down the field.  WRs Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon are going to be his top targets, but Orlovsky will have to be careful with the ball as Patriots’ corner Kyle Arrington is leading the NFL in interceptions with 7 of them.  If the Colts were smart (and they are not), they would keep the ball on the ground and try to play a game of keepaway.  Donald Brown, Joseph Addai and Delone Carter are good enough backs to give the Patriots trouble this Sunday, but sadly, they will likely be underused again.

When the Patriots have the ball:  This is going to sound bad, but the Patriots are going to be able to do whatever they want in this game.  DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis lead the Colts with 5.5 sacks apiece, but Tom Brady isn’t going to miss much sleep worrying about them tonight.  Brady is likely to have a monster game throwing the ball to Deion Branch, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez in this game.  RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis is a very solid RB, so when the Patriots are trying to grind down the clock, the Colts are going to see a lot of him.

PREDICTION:  PATRIOTS 49, COLTS 13

The Indianapolis Colts played well earlier in the season at home.  But they have lost their last two home games by a combined score of 48-10.  But, the Panthers are 0-4 on the road this year, so something has to give.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  Due to extremely poor coaching, the Colts will continue to be a passing first team this weekend.  Curtis Painter might actually have a chance for some success this weekend.  The Panthers’ don’t have much of a pass rush and they are giving up 234.1 yards passing per game this year.  Painter would be smart to get Reggie Wayne more involved in the offense this weekend as he has been wasted this year.  Pierre Garcon also has potential for a big game if Painter can get him the ball this Sunday.  The Panthers are giving up 140.7 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry this year, so if the Colts were smart they would get the ball in Donald Brown and Delone Carter’s hands running the ball in an effort to control the clock a little and keep Cam Newton and his boys on the sideline.

When the Panthers have the ball:  The Colts’ D is probably worried about this weekend as Cam Newton and his high flying offense invade town.  The Panthers are a pass first team, so it will be up to DEs Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney to put the heat on Newton while also containing him in the pocket.  That will be easier said than done.  Newton will be taking aim at a Colts’ D that is allowing opposing QBs a 109.7 QB Rating so far this year.  The Colts will likely try to double WR Steve Smith (56 rec, 992 yards, 5 TDs) and force the Panthers to beat them by throwing to someone else….that will be easier said than done.  WR Brandon LaFell, TE Jeremy Shockey and TE Greg Olsen give Newton a lot of other weapons to throw the ball down the field to.  The scary thing about defending the Panthers is that they also have an outstanding pair of RBs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

PREDICTION:  PANTHERS 41, COLTS 20

The Indianapolis Colts have been pathetic this year.  But, in the last three weeks they have sunk to new lows as the Colts have been outscored in those games by a combined score of 120-24!  The Jaguars have played a lot better the last three weeks as they look like an improving team.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but this is the type of game the Colts can win if they run the ball a lot.  Delone Carter and Donald Brown could split carries and handle a heavy workload in this game.   But, everyone knows the Colts are acting like Peyton Manning is still under center as they are throwing the ball around 60% of the time.  The Jaguars have a decent secondary, so Curtis Painter is going to have to be careful throwing the ball this weekend.

When the Jaguars have the ball:  The Colts are going to have to be ready for a very heavy dose of RB Maurice Jones-Drew.  That makes perfect sense as the Colts are allowing 146.1 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry so far this year.  The Colts will try to get a good pass rush on rookie QB Blaine Gabbert in an effort to cause him into making some big mistakes.  The Colts must pay special attention to WR Jason Hill, as he has gotten into a groove with QB Gabbert as of late.

PREDICTION:  JAGUARS 24, COLTS 10

The Indianapolis Colts have been pathetic as of late.  They have been outscored 116-34 in their last three games.  The Falcons, on the other hand, are coming off two impressive wins over the Panthers and Lions (in Detroit).  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts would be best served to keep the ball on the ground and away from the Falcons’ offense.  I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but their coaching staff isn’t near smart enough to figure this out.  The offense they are running makes me think that they still believe that Peyton Manning is the starting QB instead of Curtis Painter.  The Falcons are giving up 265.6 yards passing per game and they only have 13 sacks, so maybe Painter will have a solid game this Sunday.  WRs Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Austin Collie and TE Dallas Clark are still good players, and they are going to cause some trouble for the Falcons’ secondary.

When the Falcons have the ball:  The Colts are going to have to go all out to stop RB Michael Turner, because if he gets going, the Falcons’ offense is very difficult to stop.  Matt Ryan is deadly off play action, and he’s certain to use it a lot this Sunday.  The Colts  need to get a good pass rush on Ryan, or they are going to be in deep trouble.  Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez won’t be beating the Colts’ secondary deep, but they catch almost every ball thrown in their direction.

PREDICTION:  FALCONS 30, COLTS 13

The Indianapolis Colts hit rock bottom last weekend against the Saints, who pounded them 62-7!  The Titans got pasted last weekend at home by the Houston Texans.  They have lost their last two games by a combined score of 79-24!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  I have been saying for weeks that the Colts need to run the ball more in an effort to control the clock and shorten the game.  The Titans are giving up 124.5 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry so far this year, so it makes too much sense to give the ball to Joseph Addai, Delone Carter and Donald Brown in this game.  The Colts only have one legit offensive lineman starting this weekend in center Jeff Saturday, which is another reason why they should run the ball more this weekend.  If Curtis Painter has time to throw the ball, he should be able to get it down the field to Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon.  I think he’s going to be under duress a lot in this game, so don’t be surprised if he aims for TE Dallas Clark and WR Austin Collie to be more involved in the offense tomorrow.

When the Titans have the ball:  The Colts are giving up 150.9 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry this year, so it will be interesting to see if they can stop Chris Johnson, who only has 268 yards rushing this year and a lousy 2.9 yards per carry.  The Titans are going to make a big effort to get Johnson going tomorrow.  If Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis don’t get to Matt Hasselbeck, it could be a very long day for the Colts’ defense.

PREDICTION:  TITANS 31, COLTS 13

The Colts are 0-3 on the road this year where they have been outscored 85-41.  The Saints are 2-0 at home this year where they have outscored the Bears and Texans by a combined score of 70-46.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts really need to think about running the ball more, starting tomorrow night in New Orleans.  The Colts only average having the ball for 24:50 per game and that just won’t get it done.  Joseph Addai is back healthy for this game and he will be taking aim at a Saints’ D that is giving up 109.2 yards rushing per game and 5.1 yards per carry so far this year.  Delone Carter and Donald Brown should also get some carries tomorrow night.  The Saints are a heavy blitz team, so Curtis Painter is going to have to get rid of the ball quickly.  Painter likes throwing to Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne a lot, but he needs to get TE Dallas Clark and WR Austin Collie more involved in the offense…..starting tomorrow.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Colts better hope that DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis get to QB Drew Brees a few times or it’s going to be a long night for the D.  The Colts are giving up 255.8 yards passing per game and QBs have been having an easy time with them.  TE Jimmy Graham and RB Darren Sproles are the leading pass catchers this year for the Saints with 39 catches apiece, so the D will have to pay special attention to them.  Brees likes throwing to everyone though, so it’s almost impossible to double anyone.  The Saints’ running game is a work in progress as Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles share the workload.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 33, COLTS 17

The Colts have played better since Curtis Painter has taken over as the starting QB, but they have still been losing every game.  The Bengals have played solid football this year, especially on defense.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Colts have the ball:  The Colts are likely to come out of the locker room throwing the football.  The Bengals already have 13 sacks so far this year, so the Colts’ O-Line is going to have to rise up to the challenge.  If Painter has time to throw the ball, he should be able to get it downfield to WRs Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne.  Painter hasn’t really used Austin Collie and Dallas Clark much in the short passing game but maybe this is the week that will change.  Delone Carter and Donald Brown are likely going to have a very hard time finding running room against a Bengals’ D that is only allowing 88.6 yards rushing per game and 3.2 yards per carry.

When the Bengals have the ball:  The Bengals will likely come out feeding the ball to Cedric Benson against a Colts’ D that is allowing 145.2 yards rushing per game and 4.1 yards per carry.  The Colts need their LBs to step up or the Bengals are going to grind the clock.  DEs Robert Mathis (3.5 sacks) and Dwight Freeney (4.5 sacks) need to get to Bengals’ QB Andy Dalton (he has been sacked 11 times this year) if the Colts are going to have a legit shot at an upset this Sunday.  The Colts should double cover rookie WR A.J. Green and dare Dalton to throw the ball to someone else in order to beat them.

PREDICTION:  BENGALS 24, COLTS 13