FOXBOROUGH, Mass.: In the previous, taking part in a daily-season sport overseas would carry a way of festivity for a New England Patriots crew that’s unbeaten in three earlier worldwide appearances.
This time, it has the sensation of a crew and its lengthy-celebrated coach reluctantly moving into an even bigger highlight as they trudge by certainly one of their most troublesome seasons in a long time.
After a 24-yr run in New England that has included six Super Bowl rings and twenty years of dominance within the AFC, the Patriots are 2-7 — Bill Belichick’s worst begin since his first season in 2000.
It led to a pointed query from a reporter this week: Does Belichick suppose he’ll be teaching for his job this week when New England travels to Frankfurt, German for its matchup with Indianapolis on Sunday?
“I’m going to control what I can control and get ready for the Colts,” Belichick responded.
Inquiries about Belichick’s job standing reached all the best way to Colts coach Shane Steichen who was requested later within the week if he may envision having Belichick’s championship credentials and being posed an identical query.
“No, I couldn’t imagine that. I think Bill Belichick is the best to ever do it,” Steichen mentioned.
He could also be, however his job safety continues to be the central matter trailing a crew that entered the week on the backside of the AFC standings.
But Belichick mentioned his strategy in unchanged as he focuses on making an attempt to show issues round.
“I do the same thing I always do. I try to do the best I can to help our team every week,” he mentioned.
INTERNATIONAL HISTORY
The Patriots are 3-0 in common-season video games performed internationally.
They defeated Tampa Bay in 2009 in London, the St. Louis Rams in 2012 in London and the Oakland Raiders in 2017 in Mexico City. New England has allowed just one landing in every of these video games, whereas scoring 30-plus factors in all three.
The Colts are taking part in their second common-season sport abroad. They misplaced to Jacksonville 30-27 in London in 2016.
TAYLOR-MADE
All-Pro operating again Jonathan Taylor sat out final season’s 26-3 loss to the Patriots. The subsequent day, crew proprietor Jim Irsay fired coach Frank Reich and employed Jeff Saturday as interim coach.
But Taylor performed a key position in 2021. He rushed 29 occasions for 170 yards and one rating in a 27-17 victory that ended Indy’s eight-sport dropping streak within the collection. It was his third-finest whole throughout a season through which he received the league’s dashing title.
RICHARDSON’S RETURN
Steichen mentioned he expects injured rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 general draft decide, to return to Indianapolis later this week.
Richardson had season-ending surgical procedure to restore a sprained AC joint in his proper shoulder in Los Angeles on Oct. 24. He’s anticipated to proceed his rehab in Indianapolis when he returns to the town the place he now lives.
Could he be part of the Colts in Germany?
“We’ll have those conversations (Wednesday) and (Thursday) and we’ll make that decision,” Steichen mentioned. “But yeah, he’ll be back this week.”
FIELD OF DREAMS?
Steichen went to London when he was with the Los Angeles Chargers and determined to not have the crew fly into Germany till Friday.
The purpose: He needed to maintain this week’s schedule as regular as potential.
But he has been performing some homework on the sphere circumstances in Frankfurt.
“Just talking to other teams, obviously Miami and Kansas City went over there, seeing the surface, we’ll go over there and look at it,” he mentioned. “We’ll just make sure we have the right cleats on when we’re over there and we’ll go from there.”
NO JACKSON
Cornerback J.C. Jackson hasn’t had the best reunion with the Patriots.
Now he isn’t anticipated to journey with the crew to Germany after reportedly being late to the crew lodge earlier than final week’s sport towards Washington. Jackson didn’t begin towards the Commanders, however did play 53 snaps and recorded one sort out.
“I think we all try to do the right things. J.C. has done a lot of good stuff,” quarterback Mac Jones mentioned of Jackson’s reported infraction. “Obviously, I’ll let him speak about that, but I have a lot of respect for J.C. and what he does.”
Jackson didn’t take part in practices Wednesday or Thursday for what the crew listed as private causes.
Jackson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Patriots in 2018, intercepting 25 passes over 4 seasons and incomes second-crew All-Pro honors in 2021. But he has struggled after signing a 5-yr, $82.5 million contract with the Chargers final yr and was traded again to New England in October.
In 5 video games since his return, he has simply three move breakups and 14 whole tackles.
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AP Sports Writer Mike Marot in Indianapolis contributed.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)
