Recap of the Colts-Pats Rivalry

Blogman recently asked me why I hate Peyton Manning and the Colts so much. Though I have many reasons (documented in other posts on this blog), it ultimately comes down to the fact that the Pats and Colts have formed a great rivalry over the past 4 years, and I am not immune to the irrational hatred that has been developed between the fans of these teams.

This got me thinking as to what makes a great sports rivalry. Certainly, no American sports rivalry can match that of the Red Sox and Yankees, which has been cultivated over decades and has crossed generations. Most other fierce sports rivalries last a relatively shorter period of time like Celtics-Lakers in the 80s and Cowboys-49ers in the 90s. Some rivalries are long-lasting, but not as fierce--divisional rivalries like Giants-Cowboys, Steelers-Browns, and Dodgers-Giants fit into this category for me.

Patriots-Colts is a great rivalry right now, though I only see it lasting until Brady or Manning retires, at which point both teams will likely cease to be elite. But taking part in it is part of what makes being a fan exciting, and in some twisted way, I will be sad when it ends. So in light of the Colts delaying the next chapter of this rivalry until next season, I thought I'd recap what got us here to begin with. Looking back, I find that it's the little things that add to the intensity of the rancor these two teams share.

November 30, 2003: Patriots (9-2) at Colts (9-2)
Despite the upstart Patriots blowing out the Colts twice in the 2001 season (when they were both in the AFC East), I think the rivalry really started on this day. The Patriots grabbed an early 21-7 halftime lead, but the Colts stormed back in the second half and find themselves trailing 38-34 on the final drive of the game. Despite driving down the field to get to 1st and goal on the 2-yard line, the Colts are unable to finish the drive when and unblocked Willie McGinest stuffs Edgerrin James in the backfield on 4th down. High up in the stands, the Wacky Chinaman and his fiancee cheer wildly (yep, we were there!).

Bad blood: Pats fans are ecstatic at the win, Colts fans are miffed that McGinest appeared to fake an injury earlier in the drive to stop the clock when the Pats had no timeouts.

January 18, 2004: Colts at Patriots, AFC Championship Game
Having played nearly flawless offensive football the previous two playoff games, Peyton Manning and the Colts show up to snowy Foxborough as the chic pick, ready to defeat the boring and unflashy Patriots. Stunningly, Manning throws 4 INTs (3 to CB Ty Law) and the Patriots beat the Colts 22-14 on the strength of 5 Vinatieri field goals. Patriots go on to win the Super Bowl, while the media dredges up the "Peyton Manning can't win the big game" stories again. The bad blood from this game escalates the rivalry.

Bad Blood: Colts fans are upset that the refs never call an interference penalty on Patriots defenders, who grab and hold the Colts pass catchers as they run down the field. Patriots fans resent the implication that their team somehow bent the rules to win and write off the Colts as being whiners and excuse-makers. During the offseason, the competition committee votes to more heavily enforce the defensive holding rule--this point of emphasis is informally dubbed "the Ty Law rule." Not coincidentally, Colts GM Bill Polian is the chairman of this committee, leading Pats fans to complain that the Colts are unfairly changing the game to give themselves a competitive advantage.

September 9, 2004: Colts at Patriots, First primetime game of the season
Manning and the Colts gain nearly 450 yards on offense against the Patriots, but turn the ball over 3 times inside the red zone. Trailing 27-24 on the final drive, Manning drops back to pass on 3rd down, but is sacked by an unblocked Willie McGinest. Thoroughly unlikeable kicker Mike Vanderjagt, who has successfuly converted an NFL-record 41 field goals, trots out on the field, turns to the Patriots bench, and rubs his fingers together to signal that he is "money." Karma rears her ugly head, as Vanderjagt's 48-yard attempt misses wide right. This victory eventually results in the Patriots earning a higher seed in the 2004 playoffs, giving them a first round bye and home-field advantage over the Colts.

Bad Blood: Pats fans start to anoint Brady as a better QB than Manning, offending Colts fans who point to the mounds of statistical evidence to the contrary. Colts fans feel strongly that the Patriots defense cannot stop Manning with the new holding rule in place, offending Patriots fans who point out that Manning still managed to lose the game in the end.

January 16, 2005: Colts at Patriots, AFC Playoffs, Divisional Round
Having thrown for an NFL-record 49 TDs in the regular season and playing near flawless football against the Broncos the previous week, Peyton Manning arrives in snowy Foxboro to face an injury-decimated Patriots defense, who are playing without Pro Bowl CB Ty Law and Pro Bowl DT Richard Seymour. Depth is so thin that WR Troy Brown is forced to play defensive back. Despite being favored to win the game on the road, the record-setting Colts are held to 3 points, while the Patriots possess the ball for nearly 40 minutes en route to a 20-3 victory. The Patriots go on to win the Super Bowl.

Bad Blood: In the days leading up to the game, Colts officials accuse the Patriots of intentionally allowing ice to build up on the field, prompting an NFL investigation. During the post-game handshake, Colts coach Tony Dungy attempts to graciously congratulate Pats coach Bill Belichick, but is met with a half-hearted acknowledgment and a cold shoulder. Patriot fans turn up the volume on the "Peyton can't win the big one" talk and label the elite QB as a "choker." Pats fans also sing the praises of their "genius coach" who designs defenses Manning cannot solve, somehow forgetting the 450 yards Manning gained on them only four months earlier.

November 7, 2005: Colts (7-0) at Patriots (4-3)
Visiting Foxborough for the 4th consecutive time, Peyton Manning and the undefeated Colts are greeted with "You can't win here" signs. They promptly dismantle the struggling Patriots 40-21, rolling up 450 yards of total offense in the process. Manning finally sheds the "can't beat Belichick or Brady" label. The victory begins talk of a 16-0 season for the seemingly invincible Colts.

Bad Blood: After the game, Manning is typically gracious in his press conference, while a surly Tom Brady refuses to answer questions from the media. The next day, The Boston Herald and other media outlets report that Colts GM Bill Polian was overheard in the press box openly rooting for his defense to break the leg of Patriots backup QB Doug Flutie. Colts fans point out that Manning is clearly better than Brady when also given an elite defense to play with, while Pats fans sorely dismiss the loss as "just another regular season game."

During the offseason, beloved Patriots kicker and Super Bowl hero Adam Vinatieri signs with the Colts, who make him the highest paid kicker in NFL history. The Wacky Chinawoman promptly labels him a "traitor" and refuses to speak his name ever again. In the first round of the draft, the Patriots draft RB Laurence Maroney and the Colts draft RB Joseph Addai, setting up "which RB is better" arguments for the next five years.

November 5, 2006: Colts (7-0) at Patriots (6-1)
Hoping to prove that the Colts victory the previous year was just a fluke, the Patriots take on the Colts in Foxboro yet again. In a game not as close as the final score would suggest, the Patriots lose 27-20. Manning is intercepted once, while Brady throws 4 INTs, one on the final drive of the game. The victory eventually results in the AFC Championship game being played in Indianapolis.

Bad blood: Colts fans revel in the reversing tide of the rivalry, while Pats fans cling to the fact that Manning has still never beaten them in the playoffs "when it matters." Pats fans everywhere feel like vomiting after seeing Adam Vinatieri trot out onto the field wearing a Colts uniform. Before the game, the Patriots VPs engage in some childish gamesmanship by demanding that Colts GM Bill Polian, reknowned for his violent temper, sign an assurance that he will not physically harm any Patriots employees while watching the game in the press box.

January 21, 2007: Patriots at Colts, AFC Championship Game
With both teams having pulled off the upset the previous week, this game featured a struggling Colts offense against a highly-ranked Patriots defense. On the flip side, a suspect Patriots offense was matched against a surprisingly improved Colts defense. The Patriots build a 21-6 halftime lead, only to watch Manning lead the Colts to 32 second half points, capping off the furious comeback by scoring the go-ahead touchdown with one minute remaining in the game. Brady is intercepted on the final drive of the game, and the Colts go on to win the Super Bowl.

Bad Blood: Afterwards, Patriots officials accuse Colts GM Bill Polian of turning up the heat in the RCA dome, thus quickly dehydrating several flu-ridden Patriots. Pats fans deal with the embarrassment of their beloved Belichick-designed defense choking away their lead to the "QB who can't win the big one." Colts fans tout Super Bowl MVP Manning, having now won a championship to go along with his gaudy statistics, as clearly being Brady's superior. Pats fans sourly point out that Brady is more handsome.

November 9, 2007: Patriots (8-0) at Colts (7-0)
In what is hyped as the biggest regular season game EVER, the uncharacteristically healthy Patriots battle the injury-ridden Colts, who play without star WR Marvin Harrison and LT Tony Ugoh. Despite holding the dynamic Patriots offense to only 10 points through 3 quarters, the Colts lose 24-20 in a game that could have gone either way.

Bad Blood: After the game, Patriots officials accuse the Colts of adding artificial crowd noise through the stadium speakers during Patriots offensive drives. Tom Brady goes on to break Peyton Manning's record for single-season TD passes. In a strange role-reversal, Manning's statistics drop without the presence of WR Marvin Harrison and other offensive starters, but he still leads his team to a 13-2 record in meaningful games. Consequently, Pats fans suddenly place more importance on statistics, and Colts fans suddenly appreciate the ability to win with lesser talent.

Whew! Going back and thinking about it some more, this has been a really great sports rivalry, especially for the rabid fan bases. Though the bitterness clearly extends through each organizations' front offices and likely the coaching staffs, it doesn't seem to affect the players, who don't often badmouth each other in the media and seem to genuinely respect each other. It's a little odd that the players are the only ones who participate in the rivalry in a reasonably civil manner (that is, when they're not brutally hitting each other on the field).