Advantage: Patriots

WEEK 11
Patriots 31, Colts 28 (11/21/'10): Throughout the last decade, year after year, I always had one wish if the Pats made the playoffs: I wanted them to play the Colts. Crazy? Yes. But it's like Celts-Lakers, Bruins-Canadiens, and, of course, Sox-Yankees. Such great rivalries produce great games. Sure, the chance of the team you root for losing is greater because the other team is so tough to beat, but it's just too fun not to wish for. Win or lose during the regular season, I've always left a Pats-Colts game hoping for a January rematch. Not this time.

The Patriots won another classic chapter in the rivalry, but the fourth quarter was a reminder why you don't want to play Peyton Manning in a win-or-go-home playoff game at this point in his career. His team is never out of it as long as he can get a few seconds of protection to make a play. As Belichick says, "60 minutes!" It took all 60 to win this one.

WEEK 11: Familiar face.

Billy and Bergs took that 60 minutes approach to heart. They were the first to arrive at the Enchanted Forest lot, well before 11 a.m. So early, in fact, that the gate wasn't open. The man with the key finally arrived and Billy and Bergs set up camp and waited for us. "I asked the guy if we could get a discount because we were first in the lot," Billy joked when Mark and I arrived a few minutes later. "He didn't go for it." Mark's brother Toph joined us as part of his 50th birthday weekend. The party the night before was the perfect warmup for a chilly but sunny day of tailgating. Shep and two of his sons arrived a little later and we spent the day talking about the Colts and last  week's big win over the Steelers; and eating lamb two ways (one marinated in lemon sauce, another in sour cream), grilled King Crab legs, and linguica. We decided that -- with three great home games yet to come -- this is officially the best season of tailgating we've ever had. Of course the results of the games have been a big part of that. None more so than yesterday.

The game felt a lot like the ones in the early part of the last decade, especially in regards to the interceptions thrown by Manning. It's been a while since I've gotten to see him shrug his shoulders and make the Manning face on the giant screen at Gillette. I had missed that. It's even better in HD.

The first of his three interceptions came on the Colts' opening drive about five minutes into the game with Indy just over midfield and facing a 3rd-and-7. Manning floated one right into Meriweather's hands and he took it back 39 yards to the Colts 30. Replays showed the pass was off because Manning was under pressure, a theme for the day even though the D never got the sack. The interception, followed by Welker slugging in a 22-yard TD pass through two Colts defenders, got the already wired crowd completely fired up. New England fans can still make some noise when it really counts.

The Pats D held the Colts and then Brady led the offense on a 15-play, 82-yard drive that chewed up nearly eight minutes of clock. It was a thing of beauty. My hand was a little soar from high-fiving Mark, Shep, Toph, and everyone else within reach play after play. Should have kept my gloves on. Brady capped the drive with an 8-yard pass to Aaron Hernandez on third down and the Pats took a 14-0 lead and sent the stadium into party mode.

As has often been the case in this rivalry, just when one team looks like it is in charge the other team (this time the Colts) answers back. Manning and Brady traded touchdown drives the rest of the half (ending with Manning hitting Reggie Wayne with just eight seconds left) and the Patriots walked off the field with a 21-14 lead. It was a great first half. But not as great as the second half.

The Pats seemingly put the game away with an electric 36-yard touchdown run by Woodhead late in the third quarter, a Devin McCourty pick, and a Shayne Graham field goal. The Pats held a comfortable 31-14 lead with just more than 10 minutes to go in the game. But with Manning, nothing is comfortable. The Colts went no huddle and Manning quickly put up two touchdowns as the crowd screamed "get him!" again and again. The Pats D never did get him. But they did get a break.

The Colts got the ball with just more than two minutes to play and Manning began what looked sure to be at the very least a game-tying field goal drive. Manning hit Wayne for 15 yards down to the Pats 24 and old friend Adam Vinatieri began warming up his aging but still clutch right leg. The thought of #4 making the tying kick and then possibly the winning kick in OT sure put a damper on my Don Julio glow. Manning was looking as unstoppable as ever. Then he made his third mistake of the game, launching a pass towards the end zone to try and go for the win. Just before he released the ball he leaned out of the way of the rush and the ball came up short. James Sanders (one of Mark's favorite players) leaped into the air and made a great catch, cradling the ball -- and the game -- in his arms as he fell to the ground at the 6-yard line. The Gillette crowed celebrated a great finish to another great Pats-Colts game.

In consecutive weeks the Patriots have gone into Pittsburgh and put a solid beating on the Steelers and then come home and held off a serious challenge by the Colts. Last year's team could not have pulled that off. The victories give the Pats a big advantage against both teams when it comes playoff seeding time. Now the Pats have to turn around and play their third game in 12 days with the traditional early Thanksgiving Day game in Detriot. The holiday season has begun and once again -- really? again? -- the Patriots are one of the best teams in the league. A win over the Colts always proves that.

Belichick was miked before, during, and after the Colts game. Here's the link to the NFL Films video. It's an early gift to Pats' fans.

Belichick Miked Up Against The Colts.