Adam Vinatieri – Noteworthy
K Adam Vinatieri, a legend in Patriots history because of the kick he made in the snow against Oakland in 2001 and the two Super Bowl game-winning kicks, is now in his 23rd season. He started kicking in 1996 – the same year Pats rookie RB Sony Michel was born. Vinatieri just passed Morten Andersen for the most made kicks in NFL history.
Pats coach Bill Belichick was asked about Vinatieri Tuesday. “I would say it (the kick against the Raiders in the snow) was by far the greatest kick I have ever seen. The conditions were very difficult. There were probably three to four inches of snow on the ground. It was a soft snow that kind of didn’t go away. I mean, there was no way to get around it. The magnitude of the kick was significant. It’s got to be the greatest kick of all time, certainly that I’ve seen. Adam (Vinatieri) is a great player. He was a great player here and has been a great player for the Colts, great person. He works hard. He certainly doesn’t fit the classic profile for a kicker. He is more of a football player. He’s physically and mentally tough. When he was here, he trained and worked out with all the players. There was no special program for him as a kicker or anything like that. He embraced that. He had a great relationship with his teammates because of the way he worked, how competitive and mentally and physically tough he was and how he was willing to help out in other areas of the team – scout team and things like that.”
Andrew Luck – Noteworthy
QB Andrew Luck doesn’t need to be reminded he’s never defeated the Patriots in five meetings. “Certainly in my experience, we’ve come up on the short end, and that’s not fun,” Luck said. “Obviously we’d like to turn that around. We’d like to flip the story, in a sense.”
Luck became just the 11th quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 450 yards with four TDs and no interceptions when he completed 40 of 62 passes for 464 yards and four TDs against the Texans. The 62 pass attempts are a franchise record. The 40 completions tied Peyton Manning for most in team history. The 464 yards were eight shy of Manning’s team mark. That said, Luck laments what the offense hasn’t done. “Sharp football for 60 minutes is something we probably have not done yet here this year,” he said. A botched snap was recovered for a Texans touchdown and Luck lost another fumble when sacked by J.J. Watt at the Colts’ 8 that resulted in a Texans TD two plays later.
Anthony Walker – Noteworthy
LB Anthony Walker had a career-high 10 tackles and his first career sack against Houston.
Darius Leonard – Noteworthy – Injury
LB Darius Leonard, who has been resting a sore ankle injured on Sunday, leads the NFL with 54 total tackles, including 38 solos.
Denico Autry – Noteworthy
DE Denico Autry returned from missing two games with an ankle injury to make a career-high nine tackles with two sacks and four tackles for loss against the Texans. “His explosiveness off the ball, I think that’s what kind of caught my eye from the beginning with Denico,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said of Autry, an offseason free agent who signed a three-year, $17.8 million contract with the Colts after spending four seasons in Oakland. “He really can get off the ball, and that showed up on Sunday.”
Kemoko Turay – Noteworthy
DE Kemoko Turay is looking forward to having the chance to get after Patriots QB Tom Brady. The second-round selection has two sacks. But when asked what it would mean to sack one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks, Turay didn’t want to get too ahead of himself. “Stay tuned to when it happens,” Turay said. “Then I’ll tell you how I feel.”
Margus Hunt – Noteworthy
DE Margus Hunt leads the NFL with nine tackles for loss. He has four sacks. The sixth-year pro had just 2.5 in his career prior to this season.
Robert Turbin – Noteworthy
RB Robert Turbin was reinstated from a suspension and indications are he will be getting his share of snaps. Starter Marlon Mack is injured and the Colts have been relying on rookies Jordan Wilkins and Nyheim Hines. Turbin just served a four-game suspension for violating the league policy on performance-enhancing drugs, so especially in a short week nobody in the locker room is more fresh. Plus the Colts didn’t add another running back to the active roster.
T.Y. Hilton – Noteworthy – Injury
WR T.Y. Hilton likely won’t play Thursday due to hamstring and chest injuries.
“We will miss T.Y., but at the same time you have to have the next man up mentality,” head coach Frank Reich said.