The attack of the patriots goes into gear against the Colts

Tom E. Curran looks at some of the truths of the Patriots 24-24 win over Indianapolis.

FOXBORO – Everything is set! Or especially.

Tom Brady had Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski on the field together for the first time since the middle of the 2016 season and immediately that was visible.

The route combinations and a quick offensive during the first training of the Patriots placed Brady in his comfort zone. He had nine goals against nine for 78 yards, bringing five different receivers.

Edelman did not regain his form. He was soaked. He caught two passes in the first round, returned free kicks and caught three of the four passes sent. The one he did not transport was on a wheeled road and it was a flat fall. This is something we talked about this week that angered Edelman during training camp: drops. This aspect may take some time to come back.

BEFORE THE GAME, WE HAVE SAID. . .

Edelman finished with seven catches for 57 yards. The Cover-2 that Indy played most of the evening did not let him get rid of the way he hoped, but the most surprising part of his performance was the speed, power and elusiveness that he was able to show in his first match.

The spin-off effect of Edelman's return left much more room for James White, who finished with 10 catches for 77 yards. He had nine catches for 74 yards in the first half.

It was the same for Gronkowski, who, although questionable for the match with an indented ankle, moved very well. He had a big third quarter with consecutive catches of 15 yards from Brady, but cost the Patriots points when he was unable to hide from Brady at Indy 4 and saw him come off for a interception.

It was painful for both players as Gronk lost a 19-yard catch and Brady's distance, completion percentage, and passer rating were all affected.

Gronk finished with six catches for 75 yards.

Josh Gordon has almost lost the game.

More truths

It's funny how a week can change things. Gordon hit the headlines last week but saw only two targets in the first three quarters and both fell short. He made his first shot in the third quarter on a lean 15-yard post, then he received a 34-yard pass as Brady was buying time, directing traffic and throwing in a place where Gordon intercepted him between two defenders of the colts.

Although Brady scored 34 points out of 44 and two of the 10 failures were interception points, he was not precise in his placement.

But as much as the passing game has improved with the additions of Gordon and Edelman, the most notable improvement is probably the ground game. For the second time in five days, the Patriots were effective on the field, especially in the middle of the defense of the Colts with Sony Michel. He racked up 98 yards in 18 runs, including a 34-yard touchdown that offered a speed-power combo that made it one of the most impressive three-pass backs the Patriots put in for years.

There was just White and Michel active last night and Bill Belichick specifically mentioned their work.

"Yes, these guys did a great job," he said. "Both did a great job. We have been dependent on them for a while and they have succeeded. They both carried a heavy and very productive load. They did a great job on ball security and creating the games available, as well as some games by themselves. They missed some guys, broke wounds, gained a few extra yards. I thought it was a great job of these two guys. They really helped us.

Belichick added that the Patriots did not have everything they could have on the field.

"We hit some big races," he said. "Overall, we had, I would say, probably too many races that were not as productive, but that was offset by some big races. I think we could win more yards, but they are good in advance. They have a good forehead. They are difficult to block. They stunt a lot. . . I thought our guys were here, but I think we left some on the field as well. "