Amazing-We play the Colts in 2012

[carolinatony]

Believe it or not; we play them again next year.

Did I miss the memo that they are in our division haha
We play them and Houston at home and @ Tenn and Jacksonville.

 

[MP-Logick]

Yep. And if we finish at the same divisional rank in 2013, we'll play them that year too, in Indianapolis.

 

[Sciz]

I hope the Indy game is early in the season, so Belichick can welcome Andrew Luck to the NFL

 

[supafly]

Believe it or not; we play them again next year.

Did I miss the memo that they are in our division haha
We play them and Houston at home and @ Tenn and Jacksonville.

That's b/c we play the entire AFC South, just the way the rotation goes.

Usually it's b/c we are first in the division, as are they.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

That's gotta be some kind of record for playing a non-divisional team in consecutive years.

Even the 49ers-Cowboys or Cowboys-Packers in the 90s wasn't anywhere close.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

That's b/c we play the entire AFC South, just the way the rotation goes.

Usually it's b/c we are first in the division, as are they.

Ironically, since going to the new divisions in 2002, the only times the Pats and Colts have finished with different rankings have been in years where it wouldn't matter as far as scheduling goes.

 

[strngplyr]

It's just the rotation since 2002, the Colts worst season ever just happens to fall right before their division was up to play the AFCE.

For those unsure of how the rotation works, since 2002 it has looked like this:
Your division x2
AFCx Division x1
NFCx Division x1
Opponent who placed the same as you from AFCy/z (or NFCy/z if you're an NFC team)

The next season it will be AFCy and NFCy, followed by AFCz and NFCz, if you're AFC the rotation restarts and you play the final NFC division a long with the first AFC division you played in the rotation. If you're NFC you'll play the final AFC division and the first NFC division you played, etc.

 

[sly24]

I don't mind this even though they're a tough opponent and it makes the schedule harder (with the exception of this year). Everyone knows Colts vs Patriots has been the real superbowl in the 2000s.

 

[A.C Vegas]

I am personally tired of seeing them the same with the Steelers it feels like we play them every year too

 

[Wax Frog]

I am personally tired of seeing them the same with the Steelers it feels like we play them every year too

SOS games + consistently-winning organizations = "playing them every year"

There is some value in having an annual barometer for level of play.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I would imagine baltimore is on our schedule as well since they are going to finish 1st in the AFCN.

 

[NJPatsfan26]

SOS games + consistently-winning organizations = "playing them every year"

There is some value in having an annual barometer for level of play.

Thats true. Except this year we cannot use that with the Colts.

 

[ausbacker]

This sets up beautifully for the Tom Brady > Peyton Manning + Andrew Luck argument.