This could be the year for Colts

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — After tonight, the Indianapolis Colts will no longer have to wonder if they choke when they play the New England Patriots.

They'll have the answer, for sure.

If the Colts beat New England on Monday Night Football, they can continue to argue that their failures against their former AFC East rival have been due more to personnel than psyche. And should the Patriots win, it will be just as obvious that they simply have the Colts' number.

"Obviously, you hear a lot of 'Patriots this. Patriots that.' Rightfully so," defensive lineman Dwight Freeney said. "They've beaten us every year since I've been here. So, you have to just handle it and go out there and do what we have to do."

Patriots this: New England has won three of the last four Super Bowls. Patriots that: the last two have come after knocking the Colts out of the playoffs. Patriots one other thing: Indy came into those playoff games thinking it was their chance to finally break through against New England.

"I don't think it's any magical or special things that we do, or else everybody would be doing it," Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest said. "The Colts are a very good team. All of that has been in the past, as far as us winning. That was in the past. This is a new year. They're the best football team in the game right now."

The Patriots (4-3) have undoubtedly been a good team lately, as evidenced by the three silver footballs in their crowded trophy cabinet. And no one knows that better than the Colts (7-0) as they come to Foxborough for what has remained an annual rivalry game even after their move to the AFC South.

The Patriots are 17-4 against their former AFC East rivals since 1993, including six consecutive victories and seven straight in Foxborough. Peyton Manning is 10-2 against New England; Tom Brady is 6-0 against the Colts and Bill Belichick is 7-1 when leading the Patriots against them.

"I don't think you get psyched out by that. I think a lot of times it is just dealing with a good team," Indy coach Tony Dungy said. "In the years I have played the Patriots, we haven't beaten them, but not that many other people have beaten them either. I think we have had a team that is good enough, but we just haven't done it."

But this year is supposed to be different: Indianapolis is the last unbeaten team in the NFL and 1 1/2 games better than its closest pursuer. And even though the Patriots have won the last two Super Bowls, this year they've struggled to overcome the kind of injuries they shrugged off in the past.