Patriots vs Colts (11/15/09)

[Bahku]

Indianapolis Colts host the New England Patriots at The Lucas Oil Stadium on November 15, 2009 at 8:20 PM.



                                                                                              


                                     


                                                                                                       GO PATS!



                        




The New England Patriots will travel to Indianapolis to face the Colts on Sunday Night Football for the second consecutive season. Last season, the Patriots fell to the Colts, 18-15. Both clubs are moving near the top regular-season victory total for any team in any NFL decade. New England and Indianapolis are tied with 109 regular-season wins in the 2000s, including the final game of the 1999 season that was played on Jan. 2, 2000, and are within striking distance of the all-time win mark for a decade held by San Francisco of the 1990s with 113 wins.

Including playoff games, the 49ers had 125 wins during the ‘90s. New England has 123 wins and Indianapolis has 116 wins during this decade. It is also a matchup of the top two teams over the last seven seasons, with New England and Indianapolis both entering the game with records of 83-21 in regular-season games since 2003. The Colts and Patriots each won five consecutive division titles (2003-07), before finishing second in their respective divisions last year. Indianapolis and New England are two of nine organizations to win five or more consecutive divisional flags since the NFL Merger.


BROADCAST INFORMATION

TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast to a national audience by NBC and can be seen in Boston on WHDH-TV Channel 7. Al Michaels will handle play-by-play duties with Cris Collinsworth providing color. Andrea Kremer will be the sideline reporter.

NATIONAL RADIO: This week's game will be broadcast to a national audience by Westwood One. Dave Sims and James Lofton will call the game. Hub Arkush will be the sideline reporter.

RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Gil Santos is in his 33rd season as the voice of the Patriots and will call the action along with Patriots Hall of Famer Gino Cappelletti. Santos and Cappelletti are celebrating their 26th season as a tandem.



(From Patriots web-site)

[Bahku]

Can't wait for this game ... this is the next best thing to the Super Bowl for me ... go Pats!!

[Rondo2287]

This is going to be an awesome game.  I cannnot wait.  This could definitely be a prequel to a game in january in Indy

[Evantime34]

I think the Pats defense will have a statement game, holding the Colts to something like 21 points and creating a turnover or two.
I also predict that the Pats run the ball down the throats of the smaller Colts defense negating the speed rush of Mathis and Freeney by going right at them.

[crownsy]

can't wait for this. My only gripe is...what is this the third year in a row it's been @indy?

Like to get a home game next year, i might even pay for an overpriced ticket to go

[Rondo2287]

can't wait for this. My only gripe is...what is this the third year in a row it's been @indy?

Like to get a home game next year, i might even pay for an overpriced ticket to go

We are playing them at home next year. 

[Evantime34]

can't wait for this. My only gripe is...what is this the third year in a row it's been @indy?

Like to get a home game next year, i might even pay for an overpriced ticket to go

Mike Reiss wrote about this, answering a question in his mailbag.

Q: Hey Mike, I understand why we play the Colts every year -- it's a great rivalry game. But can you explain how they decide where the game is played? The Pats are playing at Indy for the third straight season, and when I looked at previous schedules, the Pats played them at home for the three seasons before that. Why don't they just alternate playing at New England or Indy every other year? -- Dave (Fairfax, Va.)

A: This is one of the most common questions, Dave, and it is important to point out, as you did, that the Patriots had a long run of home-field advantage in the series just a few years ago. The location is based on the NFL's rotating scheduling formula, and here are the details:

When the NFL went to eight divisions in 2002 (when Houston entered the league), it created a rotating schedule format that was designed to ensure every team in the league played every other club -- both home and away -- within a certain time frame. The idea is to avoid a long stretch in which one team does not play another in its home stadium.

This is how the rotating formula breaks down:
• Six games against division opponents
• Four games against the teams from one other AFC division (rotates each year)
• Two games against teams from the other two AFC divisions -- against the clubs that finished in the same place the year before
• Four games against each from an NFC division (rotates each year)

As for how this relates specifically to the Patriots-Colts, the teams have consistently finished in first place in their divisions, so that explains -- first -- why they are frequent opponents, other than just playing once every three years. As for the home-away aspect of the matchup, it's basically on a cycle. Recall that the Colts visited the Patriots in the regular season in each of the 2004, 2005 and 2006 campaigns. This year will mark the third straight season the Patriots visit the Colts. As part of the rotating scheduling format, the Patriots already know that in 2010 they will be hosting the AFC South team that finishes in the same spot in the standings. If the current standings hold true to form, that would mean the Colts come to Gillette Stadium in 2010.

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/columns/story?columnist=reiss_mike&id=4641117

[Bahku]

I wish we were in Gillette, too, but regardless, we need Tom to regain the upper hand in this series ... I'm really tired of the digs and the "Peyton is God" stuff. I would love to have a blowout, but I think it will come down to a field-goal. Been waiting for this game all week ... should be great! Go Pats!

[Bahku]

About an hour to go ... can't wait!!

[Cman]

I wish we were in Gillette, too, but regardless, we need Tom to regain the upper hand in this series ... I'm really tired of the digs and the "Peyton is God" stuff. I would love to have a blowout, but I think it will come down to a field-goal. Been waiting for this game all week ... should be great! Go Pats!

These games are always very close.  Last year, without Tom Brady, the Pats took this to overtime (the boneheaded move by one of the Pats TEs (was his name David Thomas?) is one reason he was traded to the Saints in the offseason).

[xmuscularghandix]

We better play in Gillette next year, this is really getting insane. 3 years in a row on their turf? Come on.

[Donoghus]

We better play in Gillette next year, this is really getting insane. 3 years in a row on their turf? Come on.

If the Patriots and Colts both finish first in their respective divisions, then they will play again next year and it'll be at Gillette.

The NFL scheduling is done by a formula.  Its just happened to work out the last 3 years that the game would be played in Indianapolis.

[Bahku]

Peyton is a talented QB, no doubt, but what really makes him great is the offensive line and weapons he has to work with. I mean, the guy gets HOURS in the pocket to throw, and Addai, Wayne, Gonzales ... and the D isn't too shabby, either. But any good quarterback is going to look so much better when he's got the time to throw that Peyton does. The amazing thing about Brady is that he's great whether he has the time or is being pressured ... his concentration is second to none, and his eyes are ALWAYS upfield.

[Bahku]

20 minutes to kick-off ... sweet!

[Bahku]

What a shock ... Dungy saying Manning is better than Brady ... geez. I really want this game very badly for the Pats ... thank God Rodney's there for a little balance.