New England @ Indianapolis preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 11, 2014 ) Indianapolis 22, New England 43

Andrew Luck is on the fast track to greatness but he will get a close-up view of what it looks like when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. Luck leads the league in passing yards and has guided the AFC South-leading Colts to six wins in seven games, but he faces a hotter team in the Patriots, who have ripped off five consecutive victories to move to the top of the AFC East. Luck is 0-2 versus New England, including a playoff loss last season.

Luck described two-time Super Bowl MVP Brady as a "master of his craft," but the Patriots quarterback was equally effusive in his praise of the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2012. "Their offense is doing a great job this year," Brady said of Luck and the Colts. "They score a lot of points, especially at home, and he's kind of the ringleader." With each team coming off a bye, it figures to be an offensive slugfest with Indianapolis rolling up a league-best 32.2 points per game and New England ranked third at 31.2.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Cardinals -1. O/U: 41

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (7-2): New England has rebounded from a 41-14 drubbing at Kansas City in Week 4 with a vengeance, rolling up an average of 40.2 points during its winning streak that was capped with a dominating 43-21 victory over Peyton Manning and Denver prior to the bye. Brady has 18 touchdowns versus one interception during that span and his favorite target has been tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has 36 catches, three 100-yard games and five of his eight scoring receptions during the winning streak. The Patriots are still trying to cobble together a running game following a season-ending knee injury to Stevan Ridley, but the addition of Brandon Browner opposite star cornerback Darrelle Revis helped them limit Chicago and Denver to seven first-half points in the past two games.

ABOUT THE COLTS (6-3): Luck bounced back from a 51-34 defeat in Pittsburgh with a superb effort against the New York Giants, throwing for 354 yards and four touchdowns - his eighth 300-yard game of the season and seventh in a row. Luck has gone over 300 yards in both his career matchups against New England, but he's also been intercepted seven times - including four picks in a 43-22 postseason setback in January. T.Y. Hilton has gone over 100 yards receiving in four of his last six games and needs 63 yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season while Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson have provided a 1-2 punch at running back with a combined 812 yards rushing and 55 catches. Indy's defense struggled in its last two, allowing nearly 900 yards through the air.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Luck's seven straight 300-yard games are two shy of Drew Brees' NFL record.

2. Brady is tied with Brett Favre with 62 300-yard games and can tie Dan Marino for the third-most with one more.

3. Ex-Patriot and Colts K Adam Vinatieri is eight points shy of a record 17th consecutive 100-point season. He's currently tied with Jason Elam.

PREDICTION: Colts 33, Patriots 30