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Colts, Vinatieri return to Foxboro

Nov 1, 2006 - 1:30 AM Indianapolis (7-0) at New England (6-1) Sunday 8:15 pm EST

FOXBORO, Massachusetts (Ticker) -- The Indianapolis Colts ended the Foxboro hex last November. But they will have to deal with the New England Patriots again on Sunday night in a game which can go a long way toward determining home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The Colts are just the second team in NFL history to start a season 7-0 in consecutive seasons. They were 13-0 in 2005 before losing to San Diego.

The Green Bay Packers were at least 7-0 three years in a row from 1929-31 under coach Curly Lambeau.

But while the Colts compile impressive regular-season numbers, it's the Patriots who have been the model franchise of this decade with three Super Bowl titles in the last five seasons under coach Bill Belichick.

Adam Vinatieri had a great deal to do with that, kicking two Super Bowl-winning field goals for the Patriots. But now Vinatieri kicks for the Colts, who signed him as a free agent last March.

"It is one of those weeks that you see on the schedule and you look forward to the opportunity to get back out there," Vinatieri said. "It will be important and special for me."

The fans in New England should salute Vinatieri with a rousing ovation. He kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give the Patriots a 20-17 victory over St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI and drilled a 41-yarder with four seconds left in a 32-29 win over Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

The Patriots would not even have made the Super Bowl in the first year of their title run without Vinatieri, who kicked a game-tying 45-yard field goal in a heavy snowfall with 27 seconds left in regulation and booted a 23-yarder in overtime in a divisional playoff win over Oakland.

"Obviously, the 10 years that I spent in New England were great years with great memories," Vinatieri said. "I have lots of good friends out there on and off the field."

Indianapolis' Peyton Manning had a bad case of "Patriot paranoia," losing seven straight games at Gillette Stadium, including two in the playoffs. The two-time NFL MVP finally beat his nemesis here last November 7, completing 28-of-37 passes for 321 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-21 victory.

Marvin Harrison caught nine passes for 128 yards and two scores and Reggie Wayne had nine receptions for 124 yards.

"It's that time of year again," Manning said of the Colts' fifth trip here since January 2004. "I thought the difference in last year's game was we jumped out to a lead. We didn't get a lead against them in those other games against them."

Manning was unable to throw a touchdown pass in the Colts' 20-3 loss here in the 2004 divisional playoffs. The previous season, Manning was intercepted four times here in a 24-14 loss in the AFC championship game.

Manning has a 3-10 career record against New England, including a 2-7 mark since Bill Belichick took over as Patriots coach in 2000.

Known for his disguised coverages and multiple fronts on defense, Belichick has been able to confound Manning. But that was not the case in the last meeting as Manning directed scoring drives on seven of nine possessions.

Tom Brady was 6-0 against Manning before that loss. The two-time Super Bowl MVP completed 22-of-33 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns.

Manning leads the NFL with a 108.0 passer rating and ranks second in yards (1,965), completion percentage (66.5) and touchdowns (15).

Last week, Manning picked apart the Denver Broncos, who had allowed just two touchdowns in their first six games. Manning completed 32-of-39 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns - all to Wayne.

Brady has passed for 1,598 yards and 14 touchdowns with just four interceptions for a 92.2 rating. Last Monday, he threw for a season-high 372 yards and four touchdowns in the Patriots' 31-7 win at Minnesota.

New England played much of the game in four-receiver sets and attempted only eight running plays through the first three quarters. Tight end Ben Watson finished with seven catches for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Belichick went with that strategy since the Vikings ranked No. 1 in the NFL against the run. But that will not be the case against the Colts, who are second-to-last in the league against the run. They yielded 227 yards on the ground in the win at Denver.

The Patriots will attack Indianapolis with the 1-2 punch of rookie Laurence Maroney and Corey Dillon, who have combined for 728 rushing yards.

Indianapolis' Joseph Addai, the successor to departed Edgerrin James, leads all rookies with 447 rushing yards.