Report cards: Colts can't answer reinvented Patriots

Nate Davis, USA TODAY Sports

(Photo: Mark L. Baer, USA TODAY Sports)

The New England Patriots used a vicious ground game to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 43-22 on Saturday in the AFC divisional playoffs. Below are grades for each team.

New England grades

Patriots run offense: Their ability to constantly alter their identity is evident again in the absence of Rob Gronkowski. LeGarrette Blount's 166 yards and four TDs established franchise playoff records as the ground game churned out 234 yards and all six TDs in Saturday night's win. The team has averaged 214.3 yards over its past three outings and is clearly emphasizing an area of depth that includes Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen. And give credit to the O-line and blocking TE Michael Hoomanawanui. Six trips into the red zone produced five TDs. Grade: A+

Patriots pass offense: Tom Brady mixed in enough passes to give his runners a break but only wound up with 13 completions for 198 yards -- 161 of them to Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola, who found a lot of real estate after contact. Grade: B

Patriots run defense: Strip out a 16-yard gain surrendered to Donald Brown on the Colts' penultimate play, and New England only surrendered 2.7 yards per rush. Injured Vince Wilfork surely welled up with pride. Grade: A

Patriots pass defense: Yes, they lost track of Indy's receivers at times but mostly made life miserable for Andrew Luck. The Pats picked off four passes, sacked Luck three times and hit him on 10 occasions. Rookie LB Jamie Collins had quite the coming-out party with a sack, pick and nice pass coverage on TE Coby Fleener in the red zone. Grade: B+

Patriots special teams: Punter Ryan Allen was knocked out of the game and injured after he chased down a horrible snap that resulted in a Colts safety. But kicker Stephen Gostkowski did a nice job with five punts in relief of Allen, whose extra-point holding duties were deftly assumed by Brady. New England's kick coverage units were airtight. Grade: B+

Indianapolis grades

Colts run offense: It was ineffective before being scrapped in the face of a two-TD deficit in the second quarter. Trent Richardson contributed almost nothing in the conclusion of a lost season. Grade: D-

Colts pass offense: Luck's moxie was evident, and he made several throws that portend future greatness that may one day stamp him as the NFL's preeminent passer. But unlike last week against Kansas City, he couldn't overcome downright putrid interceptions which put Indy in an early hole and sabotaged a second-half comeback bid. FB Stanley Havili's hands let Luck down on one of the picks, but the other three just looked like poor decisions on the quarterback's part. T.Y. Hilton and Lavon Brazill did get loose for some big gainers, and Brazill hauled in both of Luck's TD passes, one on a pretty sideline route. The continued issues with pass protection has to worry team brass. Grade: D+

Colts run defense: Obviously the wrong time for its worst showing of the season, and it didn't seem like anyone wanted any part of Blount by the end. Grade: F

Colts pass defense: They didn't yield a ton of yards but still committed drive-extending penalties, didn't tackle well and never got Brady out of his comfort zone. Grade: C-

Colts special teams: Pat McAfee averaged more than 50 yards on his five punts and Adam Vinatieri hit both field goals at his former yard. But not much else to talk about, and the overall contribution was inconsequential. Grade: C+