INDIANAPOLIS -- A few thoughts on the Indianapolis Colts' 42-20 loss to the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium:
What it means: This was an opportunity for the Colts to send a message to the rest of the AFC that they’re a team that will be in it until the end. Instead, they showed the rest of the AFC that they can win in the AFC South, but have a difficult time beating playoff teams. All four of the Colts' losses this season have been against teams likely to make the playoffs -- Denver, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New England. So much was made of the Colts' need to put pressure on New England quarterback Tom Brady and stopping tight end Rob Gronkowski that they forgot about the run game. The Patriots ran around and through the Colts all night, as they finished with 244 yards rushing. The 244 yards are on top of the 234 yards the Patriots ran for against Indianapolis in the playoffs last season. Jonas Gray dominated the Colts by running for 180 yards and four touchdowns.
Stock watch: The Colts needed to have a balanced attack in order to have a chance to win. That didn’t happen because their running game was nonexistent. The Colts rushed for only 19 yards on 17 attempts. They didn’t rush for a first down all game. To make matters worse, Ahmad Bradshaw left the game in the second half with a lower leg injury.
Vinatieri moves up: With his 53-yard field goal, ageless Colts place-kicker Adam Vinatieri moved into a tie for 15th place in NFL history for makes from at least 50 yards out with 22. Vinatieri has made 28 straight field goals, which ties Mike Vanderjagt for the second-longest streak in franchise history.
Fleener steps up: With starting tight end Dwayne Allen suffering an ankle injury in the first half, Coby Fleener stepped up and tried to fill the void. Fleener finished with seven catches for a career-high 144 yards. One of his catches was along the sideline where he carefully got both feet in bounds.
Game ball: Fleener was the lone bright spot on offense, defense and special teams for the Colts.
What’s next: The Colts remain at home to host the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9) next Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.