INDIANAPOLIS -- "Hello old friend, it's really good to see you once again."
The New England Patriots visit the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday (8:15 p.m. ET, NFL Network) in a high-stakes AFC matchup, which evokes nostalgic memories of the rich history between the franchises.
It's hard to believe the Patriots' last visit to Indianapolis was in 2015, with coach Bill Belichick having joked that he never received a warm reception in the city until his unsuccessful decision to go for it on fourth-and-2 in 2009.
Those were the epic years of the Tom Brady/Peyton Manning rivalry, when the teams seemed like AFC East division rivals even though they no longer were (the Colts moved out of the division in 2002 as part of the NFL's realignment).