Stampede Blue
The Colts and Patriots are in a completely new age of football
The Indianapolis Colts are set to travel to Foxboro to face off against the New England Patriots. A game that was once top billing in the NFL is now relegated to the non-important 1 p.m. time-slot where it will be mixed in with a slew of others. The rivalry of old has been reduced to rubble as neither team has any connection to the golden years of success. Even the last remaining holdout in Bill Belichick is gone. While no one remains from the days of old, a new era of new guns is emerging. It is one that both teams hope take them back to relevance.
Anthony Richardson was the youngest starting quarterback the last two seasons. Even with a new crop of rookies, Richardson was still the youngest, being born in May of 2002. While he may have been the youngest to start the year, that title has now been taken over by Drake Maye who was born a just a few short months later in August of the same year.
Both quarterbacks are obviously young. Both quarterbacks have flashed at times and completely struggled at other moments. The two players are trying to find their way and prove they are the answer for the franchise going forward. What used to be a chess match of the highest ability between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady will look much different. Expect some big plays with just as many head scratching moments. What Manning and Brady learned over the years is what Richardson and Maye are hoping to gain.
That process takes time, and when you have two franchises that have experienced immense success, finding that patience can be challenging. Richardson has already been benched once, and the Patriots are on their second rookie in just a few seasons. It’s hard to recognize how good you have it until you don’t anymore, but both quarterbacks are working to move their teams forward into this post GOAT QB age.
Some things will look familiar on Sunday. Most things will look different. While we tend to long for the past, different doesn’t always mean bad. If both teams have the quarterback of the future on the roster that can grow and develop, we might start seeing that rivalry of old. The time-slot will start to shift, and the games will take on more importance. Tomorrow could be the start of the new era of young guns.
