New England Patriots-Indianapolis Colts: Still a Rivalry?

New England Patriots special teams star Matthew Slater is one of the few leftovers from the team's famous rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts.

Not so long ago, a Sunday showdown between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts could've been one of the finest American imports. 

Nowadays, America better be careful: marketing a showdown between the two as the best the game has to offer ... especially after last week's thriller between Kansas City and Miami ... could be interpreted as an act of aggression.

New England and Indianapolis will nonetheless do battle on Sunday morning in Frankfurt (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network), which will serve as the finale to the NFL's 2023 international slate. Once renowned for helping define the AFC playoff bracket, the matchup now tampers with the NFL Draft board: New England (2-7) currently holds the fourth overall pick while the Colts (4-5) are in the 13th slot as they linger on the outskirts of the AFC playoff picture. 

Tenured New England special teams ace Matthew Slater is one of the few leftovers from those clashes with the Colts, ones headlined by the aerial antics of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Slater said that ire toward Indianapolis still lingers in the Patriots' locker room and that bringing the series to Germany ... as well as holding the worst record in the AFC ... will only amplify the animosity.

Slater is one of the leftovers from the Patriots' heyday / USA TODAY SPORTS

“This one is special to both sides, obviously, with us being (in Germany)," Slater said, per Keagan Stiefel of NESN. "This is a unique opportunity, and obviously, both teams are in unique circumstances, unique situations, so this game means a lot to both of us."

"We’re excited about it. I expect it to be competitive just like it’s always been. It means a lot to both owners, it means a lot to both organizations. I’m not saying it’s Manning-Brady, but it certainly means a lot.”

The current passing situation certainly is unique: little more needs to be written about the pressure Mac Jones is facing in year three of his New England tenure while Colts thrower Gardner Minshew is likely making an audition tape for the other 31 teams, as he's filling in for injured touted prospect Anthony Richardson. 

New England's series with the Colts stopped being a divisional duel in 2002 but the two sides nonetheless crossed paths at least once in every season over the next 13 years thanks in part to Brady and Manning frequently staging division-winning efforts. The Patriots went 12-5 in those matchups, including a 4-1 advantage in playoff meetings.

Since Brady, Manning, and the latter's brief successor Andrew Luck moved on, the Patriots have won two of the three meetings, including a 26-3 shellacking in last year's go-around. Slater hinted that Belichick has made that game, as well as a 27-17 loss from the year before, a talking point as the Patriots move onto Frankfurt.

“Coach has gone out of his way to highlight the past two years, the way those two games went," the special teams captain said. "They were two totally different games, so it does have that feel. It’s certainly personal for both sides, I’m sure both teams are excited.”

There's no shortage of hype on the horseshoes' side, albeit for different reasons: they're trapped in an 11-team logjam for the three AFC Wild Card spots (a gang that includes everyone but New England), separated by two games. After their German holiday, Indianapolis will enjoy its bye before embarking on its final seven, which includes showdowns against current Wild Card holders Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

“Heck yeah, it’s meaningful. Shoot, to get to .500 before the bye is big," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said this week, per Dave Holcomb of Horseshoe Huddle. "I mean the message this week is (to) focus on the game. We’re going over there on a business trip to go win a football game. That’s the message."

Steichen, in the midst of his first season at the horseshoe helm, is looking to end a two-year playoff drought. Indianapolis has not missed the playoffs in three straight years since 2015-17.