The wait is over.
Admit it; you have had this game circled on your calendar since the National Football League schedule was announced.
You may not have expected the defending champion Indianapolis Colts and their archrival New England Patriots to have arrived to this point so impressively, but somehow, you knew Sunday’s game would bear great significance.
And you were right.
For the first time in league history, two teams boasting unblemished records of at least 7-0 will square off in the regular season. Dubbed by many as “Super Bowl XLI 1/2,” the victor of Sunday’s critical match up will have the inside tract on home field throughout the AFC playoffs, which oddly enough, is still more than half a season away.
For two teams that have prided themselves in not looking ahead, Sunday’s contest may actually bode more for the future than present. The loser of this pivotal game will still hold a lead in their respective divisions, and neither will face a tougher opponent for the remainder of the regular season.
But to the victor, not only goes the home field playoff edge, but the mental edge of knowing how to defeat the team they could very well meet in a more meaningful postseason game. While the Colts have won the last three meetings, and the last two in the Patriots house, the team’s playoff record in Foxboro has been shaky.
That Sunday’s contest is a huge match up is no secret. It is a fact that not even head coach Tony Dungy could deny. Still, the coach maintains the stakes are no higher than any other regular season contest.
“I think both teams are going to handle it as well as you can,” said Dungy, who topped the Colts all-time franchise victory list following last Sunday’s 31-7 thumping of the Carolina Panthers. “The thing you’ve got to understand is that it’s a regular season game. It’s a big game, but it’s still a regular season game. What it will prove is who’s the best team on Nov. 4, but that doesn’t guarantee you anything.”
What is guaranteed, however, is that each team’s familiarity with the other should bode for a highly competitive contest. Despite the Patriots key veteran off-season acquisitions, including Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Adalius Thomas, the Colts match up comparably, particularly on the offensive end.
As if any additional motivation is needed, each team also has a large-sized chip on their collective shoulders. As the Patriots have run rough shod over the league all season, they have done so following embarrassment and league fines for stealing signals.
Conversely, the Colts are possibly the most unassuming defending champions in recent memory. Despite speeding out to a flawless 7-0 record, the team is in fact a dog against New England in their own house.
The makings for a monumental regular season contest have been set. And, though Dungy cautions against taking too much from the outcome, the team doesn’t mind if fans get their popcorn ready.
“It’s going to be fun,” Dungy said. “I think it’s going to be good for the league and good for football. You’re going to see two very good teams that know each other well, but nothing more than that really.”
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