More Colts/Pats previews

Judge wonders who will cover Welker.

The problem I have with the Colts is that I don’t see how they stop Tom Brady. More specifically, I don’t see how they stop Wes Welker. They can check Randy Moss from going deep with their pass rush, but how do you keep Welker from beating you over the middle with the short and intermediate stuff? When you get an answer, e-mail New England’s opponents because nobody, and I mean nobody, has figured that out. And you certainly don’t get there by subtracting three defensive backs.

So it should come as no surprise that this becomes a duel of the game’s two best quarterbacks, Brady and Manning. If there’s one guy who can beat Brady it’s Manning, but he may be stretched to the limit here. Already he has seven 300-yard passing games, and I suspect there’s an eighth waiting here because this looks like a track meet waiting to happen. All I know is I wouldn’t rely on the Colts’ 29th-ranked rushing game to stay with New England; I’d go with Manning and his coterie of receivers.

SI likes a shootout.

3. Who’ll buckle under DL pressure? Using the phrase “buckle under pressure” may be a bad way to put it, considering both star quarterbacks are coming off a season of knee problems. Nevertheless, the NFL is a merciless league and both defensive coordinators will be looking for ways to put lots of pressure on the opposing quarterback. They’ll have to do it only with the defensive front.

Blitzing Brady and Manning is usually fruitless. The good news for both defensive coordinators, however, is that their D-linemen have been having a lot of success.

The Patriots haven’t had near as many sacks as the Colts, but they keep pressure on the quarterback, force turnovers and are stingy in the red zone. Ty Warren is a play-making end and nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who switched to end in some situations in last week’s win over Miami, is having maybe his best year. The Colts, of course, counter with pass-rushing forces Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, who can impact virtually any play.