Just their Luck

Just when it looked like one of the best rivalries in football had run its course ... the Colts are back.

When the schedule came out in the spring, tomorrow's game was probably the least appealing home game on the list. Arizona would have had that honor but the Cardinals were coming for the home opener. Always look forward to the home opener no matter who the opponent is. But the Colts in the chill of late November didn't look all that enticing. The Colts who won two games last year. The Colts who no longer have Peyton Manning at quarterback. The Colts who the Pats beat pretty easily last year.

It was clearly going to be all about the tailgating.

Then something unexpected happened. Andrew Luck -- the top player taken in the draft and the reason the Colts felt they could let the greatest player in franchise history leave -- started to play up to those impossible expectations. The rookie has led his team to five wins in the last six games and has the Colts sitting at 6-3. Just like the Patriots. Suddenly this has become a very interesting game and a very big challenge for the Pats' challenged pass defense.

The rivalry between the Pats and the Colts has been one of the best NFL story lines of the past decade. The two teams have staged some epic battles during that time. There was that 4th-and-2 game. And the greatest game I have ever had the good fortune to have a ticket for.

Patriots-Colts. Brady vs. Luck. It's the game of the week again. Just as it should be.