AFC East
New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium · Foxborough
A 21st-century dynasty, the Patriots won six Super Bowls in the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era.
Historic NFL Rivalry
Patriots–Colts
The Brady versus Manning era
The Patriots and Colts are non-division rivals whose feud peaked in the 2000s as the personal stage for Tom Brady against Peyton Manning. Their meetings included multiple AFC Championship Games and helped define a generation of NFL football.
The Rivalry
The teams first played in 1970, but the rivalry that fans remember ignited in 2001, when an injury to Drew Bledsoe handed Brady his first start — a 44-13 win over Manning's Colts. For the next decade the matchup was effectively framed as Brady versus Manning. New England won the first six meetings before Indianapolis answered with a run of its own. The stakes climbed into January: the clubs met five times in the playoffs, four of them in the AFC Championship Game. New England's defense produced an iconic 2003 regular-season goal-line stand, and Indianapolis authored a huge conference-title-game comeback in 2006. Underinflated footballs in the 2014 title game spawned the "Deflategate" saga.
What's at Stake
Though never division rivals, the Patriots and Colts repeatedly collided with Super Bowl trips on the line, making this a championship-tier rivalry rather than a standings one. The rivalry also carried legacy weight, shaping how Brady and Manning would be remembered, and its biggest games still rank among the most-watched in NFL history.
Famous Moments
- 2003 — New England's goal-line stand, capped by Willie McGinest stopping Edgerrin James, sealed a 38-34 win at Indianapolis.
- 2004 — The Patriots beat the Colts 20-3 in an AFC Divisional Round game on their way to a Super Bowl.
- 2006 — Indianapolis overcame a 21-3 deficit to win the AFC Championship 38-34, then won Super Bowl XLI.
- 2007 — New England rallied past Indianapolis 24-20 in a Week 9 meeting of undefeated teams.
- 2014 — The Patriots routed the Colts 45-7 in the AFC Championship Game, the matchup that triggered "Deflategate."
The Two Teams
Plan the Trip
This rivalry rewards travel to two contrasting football cities. The Patriots play at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, between Boston and Providence, an open-air New England venue best paired with a Boston sports-and-history weekend. The Colts host games indoors at downtown Indianapolis's Lucas Oil Stadium, walkable to the city's dining and museum core.
Frequently Asked Questions: Patriots–Colts
The two teams first met in 1970. The Patriots and Colts are non-division rivals whose feud peaked in the 2000s as the personal stage for Tom Brady against Peyton Manning. Their meetings included multiple AFC Championship Games and helped define a generation of NFL football.
Though never division rivals, the Patriots and Colts repeatedly collided with Super Bowl trips on the line, making this a championship-tier rivalry rather than a standings one. The rivalry also carried legacy weight, shaping how Brady and Manning would be remembered, and its biggest games still rank among the most-watched in NFL history.
These teams are not scheduled to meet in the 2026 regular season; cross-conference rivals meet only once every few years.
New England Patriots host at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough; Indianapolis Colts play at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.