Just weeks ago, it was leaked that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft re-signed long time coach Bill Belichick to a new lucrative long-term deal with minimal fanfare from the press or team. This came after a shaky couple of seasons with some definite troubles finding the right assistants to help guide his team. As this season has continued, the Patriots find themselves in a similar situation as they are currently 2-7 and cannot find any kind of consistency.
Just recently, a rumor hit the internet that Belichick might be coaching for his job on Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany against the Indianapolis Colts. That would make for an interesting chapter in this rivalry between the Colts and the Patriots.
Let’s look back at the rivalry between the two teams and what’s at stake on Sunday.
Bill Belichick vs Colts
Belichick has had his history with the Indianapolis Colts. In fact, he has coached against the Colts 33 times and has a 23-10 record against them. While he owns them in his career, Indianapolis did get some key victories against the Pats. The first that comes to mind was the 2006 AFC Championship Game at the RCA Dome. This game was during the peak of the Patriots dynasty and at a time when fans were curious if Peyton Manning would ever beat Tom Brady and the Patriots when it mattered. The Colts erased a 21-3 deficit and won the game 38-34 with a game-clinching interception by Colts DB Marlin Jackson. The Colts would go on to win the Super Bowl that year over the Chicago Bears 29-17.
The other game that brings a smile to Colts fans was the infamous 4th-and-2 game where a 4th down play with Kevin Faulk was short on a screen pass. The placement of the ball is still questioned to this day, but all Colts fans (including myself) will tell you he was short. Like the 2006 AFC Title game, Indy made a comeback as well. This time down 34-21 they would go on to win this game 35-34. The Colts did not win a single game against the Patriots in the 2010’s (0-8) and didn’t see a victory over the Patriots again until 2021.
Deflategate and Josh McDaniels
The boiling point of the Colts-Patriots rivalry was the 2014 AFC Championship Game, which was (arguably) the first big game between the two of them in the post-Peyton Manning era. Indianapolis got absolutely crushed in the game 45-7 but after the game is when the rivalry became hotter than it ever had been.
The Colts notified the NFL about some underinflated footballs and local reporter Bob Kravitz was the first to report it and was public enemy No. 1 in the New England area. Long story short, it was found that the Patriots deflated some footballs before the game with orders from Tom Brady and he was suspended after a lengthy investigation and multiple court filings.
Finally, the last bit of rivalry renewal occurred when Colts GM Chris Ballard hired then Patriots OC Josh McDaniels to become the new head coach to replace the fired Chuck Pagano. McDaniels had an agreement in place with the franchise but just before the news conference to introduce him, he had a change of heart and left the Colts hanging and went back to be the Patriots franchise.
After that, Chris Ballard stated to the world as he left the podium to confirm the McDaniels move “The rivalry is back on.” While it appears that the Colts dodged a bullet by not hiring Josh McDaniels, as he eventually went on to coach the Raiders and was just recently relived of his duties last week. The Colts hired Eagles OC Frank Reich and it wasn’t much better of a result.
What’s at stake for Colts and Patriots on Sunday?
With the news about the job security of Bill Belichick surfacing, this week’s game suddenly has some juicy storylines to it. For New England, if the team cannot win and this is truly Belichick’s final game, what does this prove about the relationship between Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick? Would Kraft fire (arguably) the greatest NFL coach of all time mid-season after all he has done for the franchise? Who would replace him in New England, and would it be an in-house promotion? Or does Kraft already have a plan in place?
The names that come to mind for in-house candidates would be LB Coach Jerod Mayo, OC Bill O’ Brien, and AHC Joe Judge. Would Kraft swing for the fences and try to lure Titans HC Mike Vrabel out of Tennessee? Or would he start fresh with a brand-new face with no allegiance to Kraft or the Patriots Organization?
For Indianapolis, this is a monumental game for the continued trajectory of the season. If the Colts can win this game, they would move to 5-5 while heading into their Week 11 bye. After that, they have a winnable home game against an underwhelming Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad. With the Colts standing pat at the trade deadline, the staff believes they have a team that can compete now and in the future.
While the AFC South title is longshot to win after getting swept by Jacksonville, the Colts remaining schedule is pretty weak as the only teams with winning records are Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. With a victory, the Colts are firmly back in the playoff hunt and there is no fan base that would be happier than Indianapolis to send Bill Belichick with not only a loss home from Germany but potentially permanently from the New England Patriots sideline.