Revisiting the Colts’ last win over the Patriots and the wild play that helped determine the outcome

The names may have changed, but Patriots-Colts remains a marquee game on the NFL calendar. On Saturday, the two teams will meet in a game that will have major playoff implications. At 9-4, the Patriots are trying to stay ahead of the field in the race to secure the AFC’s sole playoff bye. The Colts, 7-6 after an 0-3 start, are currently holding onto the sixth spot in the AFC standings. 

The NFL‘s best rivalry during the 2000s, New England and Indianapolis faced each other 11 times during the decade with both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning under center. Including his first career start, Brady won his first six starts against the Colts, with two of those wins taking place in the postseason. The rivalry’s balance of power shifted in 2005, as the Colts won three straight over the Patriots that included a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the 2006 AFC Championship Game. 

Indianapolis’ last win over New England — Week 10 of the 2009 season — happens to be the final game played during the 2000s between the two teams. In front of a nationally televised “Sunday Night Football” audience, the 8-0 Colts welcomed the 6-2 Patriots to Lucas Oil Stadium. It was a vintage Manning-Brady duel, as the two teams combined to score 69 points and rack up nearly 900 total yards. Combined, Manning and Brady completed 57 passes for 702 yards and seven touchdowns. Manning, evoking memories of the Colts’ comeback against the Patriots in the ’06 title game, directed three late scoring drives that helped the Colts get to within a score of the Patriots after felling behind 24-7 in the second quarter 

But this game isn’t remembered for either Manning or Brady’s performance. Or the Colts’ improbable comeback. Or Randy Moss’ nine-catch, 179-yard, two-touchdown performance. Or Reggie Wayne’s 10-catch, 126-yard, two-touchdown performance. Colts pass rush extraordinaire Robert Mathis’ brilliant outing — which included two sacks, eight tackles, and a forced fumble — is often overlooked. What fans do remember from this game is Bill Belichick’s decision to have his offense go for it on fourth-and-2 from the their own 28-yard-line with 2:08 left. With his team protecting a 34-28 lead, Belichick decided to go for the kill as opposed to giving Manning the ball with an opportunity to win it in the game’s closing minutes. 

On the now infamous play, the Patriots employed a five-wide formation, with three receivers on the far side that included Wes Welker in the slot. Moss was temporarily by himself on the near side before halfback Kevin Faulk went out in motion. On the snap, the Colts rushed inside linebacker Gary Brackett and dropped fellow linebacker Clint Session in pass coverage. Brady, knowing the Colts’ formidable pass rush was coming in hard, immediately locked into Faulk, who was covered on the play by strong safety Melvin Bullitt. While Faulk appeared to catch the ball at the first down marker, the official determined that Bullitt tackled Faulk just inches short of the 30-yard-line, giving the ball back to the Colts’ offense with one timeout and two minutes remaining. 

Manning needed just four plays to capitalize on the Patriots’ missed fourth-down conversion. A 15-yard completion to Wayne and a 13-yard run by Joseph Addai set up Manning’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Wayne with 16 seconds left. The Colts’ defense then stopped New England’s final lateral play to secure their 35-34 victory. 

“I thought it was our best chance to win,” Belichick said of his fourth-down gamble. “I thought we needed to make that one play and then we could basically run out the clock. We weren’t able to make it.”

That moment was in many ways a microcosm of both the Colts and Patriots’ 2009 seasons. The Colts went 14-2 in the regular season before winning a second AFC championship with Manning at quarterback. The Patriots won their division but were a quick out in the playoffs. But New England would return the favor in 2010, holding off another Colts rally to win what was the final Colts-Patriots game between Manning and Brady. 

Those two legendary quarterbacks may be gone, but the Colts-Patriots rivalry will be renewed Saturday in a game that has significant meaning for both teams. 

“It’s a team we don’t know very well that we haven’t played in a little while here,” Belichick said of the Colts, “so still got a lot of work to do, but we’re gaining on it here and will be ready to go on Saturday night.”