Matchups to watch: Week 11 Vs. Buccaneers

Chris Reed/Quenton Nelson Vs. Vita Vea

Left guard Quenton Nelson has struggled this season with a nagging ankle injury that forced him to miss several games, and has missed practice this week so far. Backup Chris Reed has been solid in his abscence, but he is not nearly as dominant as Nelson. In front of them will be defensive tackle Vita Vea, who has recovered from an injury that forced him to miss the past couple of weeks. Vea is among the NFL’s most dominant defensive tackles, completely taking over games at times and destroying rushing plays. If Vea manages to prevent the Colts from moving the ball on the ground, then it could be a long day for the Colts’ offense.

Eric Fisher Vs. Shaquil Barrett

Eric Fisher has been the weak link in the Colts’ offensive line this season, as his pass blocking performance on the left side has not been good at all. Shaquil Barrett is among the most productive edge rushers in the NFL, racking up 52 combined pressures up to this point. If Fisher can at least hold his own then the Colts’ passing game might have a chance against a depleted Bucs secondary.

Rock Ya-Sin Vs. Mike Evans/Chris Godwin

Lock Ya-Sin season continues, and once again he will be forced to cover some very good receivers. Evans and Godwin are the best wide receiver duo in the NFL, both because of their physical skills, their hands, and their chemistry with Brady. This will probably be the toughest test of the season for Ya-Sin.

Matt Eberflus Vs. Tom Brady

We all know that Tom Brady is among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and I think I can speak for everyone here when I say how much we hate the guy. Despite his advanced age, Brady is still playing at an MVP level, I would even say he is my favourite to win the award. Eberflus has struggled against elite quarterbacks in the past two seasons, and the lack of a consistent pass rush, combined with the fact that our safeties can’t cover, make for a tough matchup.

Ryan Kelly Vs. Devin White

Devin White loves to blitz or rush the quarterback to the sidelines. White has 28 total pressures on just 97 pass rushing snaps (to put it into context, AQM has 23 pressures on 300 pass rushing snaps), as he is able to impact passing plays in all sort of ways. Kelly will need to be able to diagnose where White is at all times and make sure the offensive line keeps him in check in order to prevent him from laying the wood on Carson.