INDIANAPOLIS (6-3) At NEW ENGLAND (7-2)
Sunday, 4:15 p.m., CBS
OPENING LINE – New England by 3 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD – Indianapolis 5-3-1; New England 6-3
SERIES RECORD – Patriots lead 44-29
LAST MEETING – Colts beat Patriots 35-34, Nov. 15, 2009
LAST WEEK – Colts beat Bengals 23-17; Patriots beat Steelers 39-26
COLTS OFFENSE – OVERALL (4), RUSH (27), PASS (3)
COLTS DEFENSE – OVERALL (18), RUSH (29), PASS (10)
PATRIOTS OFFENSE – OVERALL (18), RUSH (17), PASS (15)
PATRIOT DEFENSE – OVERALL (29), RUSH (18), PASS (30)
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES – Teams face each other for eighth straight year, longest regular-season streak between non-divisional opponents since realignment in 2002. Tom Brady and Peyton Manning hooked up in all of them but 2008 game, when Brady was out with knee injury. … Colts 5-1 in last six meetings, including playoffs, after losing six straight to Patriots. … Game features two of last week’s AFC players of the week – on defense, Patriots safety James Sanders, who returned an interception 32 yards for touchdown, and on special teams, Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, who made all three of his field goal attempts. … Colts lead AFC South at 6-3. … Manning threw for season-low 185 yards against Bengals last Sunday, but Colts scored 17 points off five turnovers. … Manning leads NFL with 386 pass attempts but has thrown just four interceptions along with 16 touchdowns. … Robert Mathis, with 7 1/2 sacks, and Dwight Freaney, with six, are both in top nine in NFL. … With three receptions for 34 yards, Reggie Wayne joined retired Marvin Harrison as only players in NFL history to compile 10,000 yards receiving with one quarterback. … Colts scored one offensive TD against Bengals but were missing tight end Dallas Clark, running backs Joseph Addai and Mike Hart and receivers Anthony Gonzalez and Austin Collie. … Patriots share AFC East lead with Jets at 7-2. … Rob Gronkowski caught three touchdown passes for Patriots last Sunday, giving him six for season, a team record for rookie tight ends. NFL record is 12 by Mike Ditka in 1961 with the Bears. … New England sacked Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger five times after recording just 13 sacks in its first eight games. … Patriots rushed for 103 yards against a Steeler defense ranked first against the run. … Another win will break Bill Belichick’s tie with Paul Brown for 12th place in victories by an NFL coach. Both have 170. … Patriots lead league with 258 points but have allowed 214, ninth most. … Brady threw for 350 yards last Sunday, 31st time in the regular-season he’s surpassed 300, a team record. … Brady has won 25 consecutive home games as starter, tying him with Brett Favre for record.
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