The New England Patriots improved to 3-2 on the season with a strong win over the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday Night Football, 38-24. Indianapolis is now 1-4 on the season, and the Colts are facing even more injuries after not even having a healthy 46 players for the game.

Tom Brady was credited with a pair of interceptions, though both went off the hands of his receivers (Chris Hogan, Rob Gronkowski). Brady finished with 341 yards, completing 34 of 44 passes, with three touchdowns and the aforementioned interceptions. One of his touchdowns went to Josh Gordon, his first as a member of the Patriots.

In his first game back from suspension, Julian Edelman caught seven passes for 57 yards. Gronkowski had 75 yards on six receptions, while running back James White led the team with 10 receptions for 77 yards. Sony Michel had 18 carries for 98 yards and a 34-yard touchdown run for New England.

One of the Colts touchdowns came in the final two minutes when they were already down by three scores, so the game looks a bit closer on the scoreboard than it actually was. Once again, Andrew Luck threw the ball more than 50 times, completing 38 of 59 passes for 365 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. The Indianapolis pass-blocking was poor, though they only allowed one sack. The Colts rushed for 84 yards as a team, and Eric Ebron had 105 yards and a pair of touchdowns off of 9 receptions.

New England was excellent right out of the gate, with Brady marching the team down the field, completing all nine of his pass attempts, including the short opening touchdown to Cordarrelle Patterson. They notched another touchdown not long after, while the Colts missed a field goal. New England would add another touchdown and a field goal before halftime.

In the second half, the Colts apparently made some adjustments because they managed to force a Patriots punt, drive down for a touchdown, and then pick off Brady in the red zone. They started driving but, unfortunately for them, they lost a fumble and the momentum stalled. They’d go on to score again, at one point making it a one-score game, but the Patriots piled on with a deep touchdown to Gordon and a big run from Michel.

Up next, the Patriots will have their third consecutive home game, this one against the very tough Kansas City Chiefs. The Colts will continue their road trip with a game against the New York Jets.

Below is the live blog from Thursday, in reverse order.

Patriots 38, Colts 24, FINAL: Michel picks up 3 yards on the ground, and the Colts burn their first timeout. Michel picks up another 3 yards, and the Colts take their second timeout. On third down, Brady throws incomplete to White, so they’ll punt it. Indianapolis takes over on their own 40-yard line. Luck hits Hines for 4 yards on first down. Then it’s Swoope for 5 yards, making it a 3rd-and-1. They convert with a 3-yard run from Hines, and it goes to the two-minute warning. The Patriots take a timeout after a 21-yard reception for Hines. Then Luck finds Swoope for a 27-yard touchdown, but this one is still out of reach. They are taking a look at the touchdown, and they reverse themselves. It’s a first down for the Colts at the 1-yard line. But on the next play, Luck hits Ebron for the touchdown. The extra point is good. With 1:!0 remaining, the Colts can’t make the onside kick stick. The Patriots instead kneel it out.

Patriots 38, Colts 17, 3:23, 4Q: Luck finds Ebron for 7 yards, then Johnson for 9 yards. Rogers picks up 3, then Johnson gets 17. An incomplete pass, a gain of 5 yards for Hines, and another incomplete pass lead to a quick 4th-and-5 for the Colts. They go for it, and Luck finds Grant for 10 yards. Luck throws incomplete on the next play, but there’s an illegal contact penalty on the Patriots, so they get 5 yards and the automatic first down. He goes incomplete to Rogers in the end zone — it was off Rogers’ hands. Hines picks up 4 yards on the ground, and it’s 3rd-and-6. Luck throws it away to avoid the hit, and it’s 4th-and-6. The fourth down pass to Ebron goes incomplete.

Patriots 38, Colts 17, 7:08, 4Q: Now needing to score quickly, the Colts take over at the 25-yard line. Luck throws incomplete on first and second down, then hits Grant for 14 yards to convert the third down. Then it’s two more incomplete passes, one of which was almost an interception. On third down, Luck throws underneath to Ebron, and it’s going to be a 4th-and-5. They’re going for it. They get the conversion, with Luck hitting Hines for 7 yards. On first down, Luck throws it to Pascal, but the ball is knocked out, so it’s an interception for Jones! He returns it to the Indianapolis 34-yard line, a 28-yard return. Then on first down for the Patriots, it’s a run for Michel and he’s got space! It’s a 34-yard touchdown for Michel! That should just about do it!

Patriots 31, Colts 17, 9:19, 4Q: Patriots take over from their own 25-yard line. Brady finds Josh Gordon for his first reception of the game, this one 16 yards. Michel gets 6 yards, then another 5 yards for the first down. Brady goes to White for 11 yards, then there’s offsetting penalties — tripping and unnecessary roughness. Brady finds Hogan for 7 yards on the next play. Then it’s Edelman for another 7 yards. On first down, with plenty of time, Brady finds Josh Gordon deep for a 34-yard touchdown!

Patriots 24, Colts 17, 12:48, 4Q: And wrong again — the scorers have now reversed their reversal, so Brady has two interceptions for the game. Either way, the Colts are still driving, with Luck hitting Grant for a 4-yard pickup, bringing up a 3rd-and-5. Luck finds Ebron on the left side for 18 yards and a first down. He then hits Grant for 3 yards, and on second down he finds Swoope for a 13-yard touchdown! The extra point is good and we have ourselves a game.

Patriots 24, Colts 10, END 3Q: Scratch that, they’ve changed it from an interception to a fumble on Gronkowski. But the Colts get the ball regardless, at their own 20-yard line. Hines picks up 2 yards, then Wilkins rushes up the left side for 11 yards. Luck throws incomplete twice, but on 3rd-and-10, finds Ebron for a 28-yard gain. A 1-yard run from Wilkins brings an end to the third quarter.

Patriots 24, Colts 10, 2:26, 3Q: Wilkins picks up 2 yards on the ground, then 5 yards on a short pass. On 3rd-and-3, Luck finds Hines for a 7-yard gain. Luck throws to Wilkins for 4 yards, but McCourty forces the fumble, and then recovers it at midfield. A golden opportunity for the Colts down the drain. Brady comes out and hits White for 3 yards, then Edelman for 13 yards.. He finds Gronwkoski over the middle for 19 yards. Michel goes for a yard on the next play, but there’s offensive holding that pushes them back out of the red zone. Brady throws incomplete, so 2nd-and-20. Brady goes to Gronkowski, who catches it, then fumbles after the hit by Farley. Good is there, and he catches the ball for an interception!

Patriots 24, Colts 10, 6:57, 3Q: The Patriots take over at their own 32-yard line after a 26-yard return from Michel. He picks up a yard, then Edelman gets 5 through the air. On third down, Brady hits Gronkowski for 15 yards, and then again for another 15 yards, into Colts territory. A short run from Michel, then Brady has a pass intended for Hogan intercepted by Farley, who takes it to the Colts’ 30-yard line.

Patriots 24, Colts 10, 9:53, 3Q: The Patriots take over, but not for long. Brady hits Edelman for 4 yards, then throws incomplete twice in a row. They punt it away, and the Colts take over at the New England 35-yard line after a 33-yard return. Wilkins takes the carry for the Colts, and he gets 6 yards and they’re into the red zone. Hines picks up nothing, then Luck finds Ebron for 14 yards and a touchdown!

Patriots 24, Colts 3, 12:42, 3Q: Colts get the ball to start the second half, from their own 25-yard line. Hines picks up just a yard on the ground to start. On 2nd-and-9, Luck hits Grant for 19 yards. Luck throws incomplete, then Hines gets 4 yards on the ground, so it’s a 3rd-and-6. The pass to Hines goes incomplete, so they punt. It’s downed at the New England 5-yard line.

Patriots 24, Colts 3, END 2Q: It’s a touchback, so the Colts take over at the 25-yard line. Scratch that, they’ll start at the 30-yard line after a New England penalty. Luck finds Rogers for 9 yards, then again for 4 yards and a first down. Ebron picks up 7 yards to the 50-yard line, and he gets out of bounds. Luck goes to Hines on the next play, but he doesn’t find him, as Chung picks off the ball! New England takes over with under a minute to go. Brady hits Dorsett for 16 yards and gets out of bounds. Incomplete to White on the next play. Hogan gets 6 yards, but a false start pushes them back. They wind up attempting a 45-yard field goal, and Gostkowski kicks it through. With 13 seconds remaining, the Colts run it and the half comes to an end.

Patriots 21, Colts 3, 1:34, 2Q: Michel loses a yard, but White picks up 12 yards on a short pass from Brady for a quick first down. Then Brady hits Hogan deep for a 21-yard gain. Michel goes for 5 yards on the run, then he squeaks through a hole in the middle for a gain of 15 yards on the next play. Another run gives him 3 yards and we’ve reached the two-minute warning. New England in the red zone now. White picks up 6 yards on a short pass, and the Colts take a timeout. White gets 6 yards on the ground, and then 1 yard, just barely enough for a first down. The spot is reviewed, and they stick with the call. First-and-goal. They run it, and Michel picks up 3 yards, but a holding call pushes them back 10 yards. Brady goes to White for 7 yards, then the Colts take another timeout. On 2nd-and-6, Brayd hits White again for a touchdown!

Patriots 14, Colts 3, 5:23, 2Q: Brady throws incomplete twice, and on 3rd-and-10, he dumps it off to Gronkowski, but it’s just a 1-yard gain, so New England will punt. The Colts take over at their own 22-yard line after a 5-yard return. Wilkins picks up 4 yards on the ground, then a false start penalty backs them up. On 2nd-and-11, they pick up a couple yards, and Brown is injured for the Patriots. There will be a timeout before the 3rd-and-7 attempt. Luck finds Ebron for the first and then some, but a holding penalty negates the play. So it’ll be a 3rd-and-17, and they just dump it off rather than try and make up the deficit. They’ll punt it away. New England is called for an illegal block, so they’ll take over at their own 32-yard line.

Patriots 14, Colts 3, 8:49, 2Q: The Colts have an early 3rd-and-1 after a pass to Grant goes for 8 yards and Hines gets 1 yard on the ground. Nobody covers Ebron, and Luck just gets the pass to him for a 17-yard pickup. Hines then goes for 5 yards on the ground., and Rogers gets another 5 and the first down on a short pass. Defensive holding on the previous play is declined. Luck throws two incomplete passes and Hines gets just 3 yards on a run, so it’s a fourth down. The 54-yard field goal attempt by Vinatieri is good, so the Colts are on the board!

Patriots 14, Colts 0, 12:14, 2Q: Starting from their own 28-yard line, Brady finds Dorsett for 5 yards, then White for 18 yards to move the sticks. The first quarter comes to an end with New England on the move. On first down, Brady passes short right to Michel, who goes for 12 yards and another first down. Gronkowski gets 6 yards, and the Colts are called for roughing the passer as a Colts defender got a hand on Brady’s helmet. Michel picks up 14 yards on the ground, and then at the goal line, at 3rd-and-1, Brady sneaks it for the touchdown!

Patriots 7, Colts 0, 0:58, 1Q: Luck finds Rogers for 24 yards to get out of the safety range, and then Hines picks up 1 yard on a run. He then catches a short pass for 4 yards, and Ebron goes for 8 yards on the next play, giving them a third-down conversion. Luck throws incomplete, then finds Pascal for 12 yards. Defensive holding on the Patriots, but it’s declined. Rogers picks up 9 yards on a short pass, and Hines gets 5 yards for a first down. The Colts are nearing the red zone now. They’re going to have a 3rd-and-inches ... no wait, nevermind, they’ve changed the spot. Colts first down at the New England 21-yard line. They pick up a yard on the ground, but Luck can’t hit Ebron or Pascal deep, bringing out Vinatieri for the 38-yard field goal attempt. And it’s no good! It goes off the upright.

Patriots 7, Colts 0, 6:10, 1Q: Touchback to start for the Colts. They pick up 4 yards on a rush, and then Luck is sacked by Flowers and Chung for a loss of 10 yards, bringing up a 3rd-and-15. The short pass goes to Ebron, and it’s dropped. So it’s a quick three-and-out for the Colts. Edelman takes it at the New England 36-yard line, and picks up 15 yards on the return, so the Patriots will start just inside Indianapolis territory. They pick up 1 yard on a run, and Walker was injured for the Colts on the play. Brady goes to Edelman deep, but though he’s wide open, he drops it. The Patriots will punt, and the Colts will take over on their own 6-yard line.

Patriots 7, Colts 0, 8:59, 1Q: The Colts kickoff to start, and after the touchback, the Patriots begin the game from their own 25-yard line, and they start with an empty backfield. And, as expected, Brady immediately goes to Edelman, this one for a 9-yard pickup. White picks up nothing, then Michel picks up 2 yards for the first-down. Then Patterson catches a short pass for 10 yards and a first down. Then it’s Dorsett for 4 yards, and Edelman again for 13 yards. The Patriots are rolling right along here. Gronkowski catches the next one, for 19 yards. False start is called on Andrews so they’ll back it up a little.White gets 11 yards, then 5 yards, and they’re into the red zone. A run for no gain and a 6-yard pass to Edelman leads to a 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Brady hits Patterson quickly to his left side, and it’s a touchdown. Patriots lead!

---

The 1-3 Indianapolis Colts will hit the road to face the 2-2 New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football, beginning at 8:20 p.m. ET on FOX and NFL Network (live streaming via FuboTV, FOX Sports GO, Amazon Prime Video, NFL).

Indianapolis has looked, at times, like a good team, with Andrew Luck playing well under center, but he’s also been sacked nine times and is backed up by only 288 total rushing yards for the team, 53 of which came from him. They’re coming off consecutive losses to the Texans and Eagles, with their only win being over Washington.

New England rebounded from consecutive losses to the Jaguars and Lions by soundly beating the 3-0 Dolphins in their last outing, 38-7. Tom Brady threw a pair of interceptions, but also three touchdowns, and even got a couple passes off to Josh Gordon, who is still working his way into the full offense.

Below is all you need to know to watch on Thursday.

Time, TV, and streaming info

• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
• Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts
• TV: NFL Network, FOX
• Streaming: FuboTV, FOX Sports GO, Amazon Prime Video, NFL
• Odds: The Patriots opened as 10.5-point favorites over the Colts, and the line hasn’t moved much throughout the week.

Colts vs. Patriots news

• Julian Edelman will return to action for this game, after serving a four-game suspension for performance-enhancing substances to start the season.
• The Patriots have been hurting at the receiver position all season. But who is Edelman’s return going to hurt on the depth chart?
• Everyone was worried when Rob Gronkowski went down with an ankle injury but fortunately, it’s not considered serious.
• The Colts, on the other hand, are ailing pretty big. They ruled out seven players for Thursday’s game, including T.Y. Hilton, Jack Doyle, Marlon Mack, and others. Anthony Castonzo and Ryan Kelly are both listed as questionable.
• New England listed eight players, including Gronkowski, on their official Wednesday injury report.
• The Patriots have another concern, though it obviously won’t impact Thursday’s game — Kenny Britt has reportedly filed a salary grievance with the team.

Colts vs. Patriots prediction

Of the seven SB Nation experts picking Week 5 games, all of them are picking the Patriots to win. They are joined by the OddsShark computer, while the coin flip, currently at 36-27 on the season, landed on Indianapolis.