All this week on the projo PatsBlog, Jim Donaldson will be reliving the 13 games played by the Colts and the Patriots this decade, when the two former AFC East doormats became the hottest rivalry in the NFL. We'll also present archival photos of the games. We conclude with last season's game, in which mistakes cost Matt Cassel and the Patriots the chance at a win in Indianapolis.

Adam Vinatieri twice won Super Bowls for the Patriots with field goals in the final seconds.

Last year, it was his 52-yard field goal with 8:05 remaining that provided the Indianapolis Colts with their margin of victory in an 18-15 win over his former teammates.

Unlike in 2007, when the Patriots racked up points at a record-setting pace with Tom Brady at quarterback, points were at a premium with Matt Cassel at QB, Brady having been lost for the season with a knee injury in the first quarter of the first game.

Still, the Pats could have won had not Jabar Gaffney (literally) and Bill Belichick (figuratively) each dropped the ball.

Late in the third quarter, Gaffney flat-out dropped what should have been a 39-yard touchdown catch.

"I make that catch," he said, "and it's a different game."

Then, early in the fourth quarter, after Cassel appeared to have picked up a first down at the Indy 7 on a fourth-down quarterback sneak, the play was nullified because Belichick had called a timeout. After which, the coach sent in Stephen Gostkowski to kick a field goal that tied the game at 15-15.

"We didn't get a very good look at the spot (on the third-down play)," Belichick said, by way of explanation. "Once we saw what the distance was, it just seemed better to go for the (three) points."

That wasn't the last questionable move by the Pats, who had moved into field-goal range in the fourth quarter, and had a chance to at least tie the game, when they were pushed back because of a personal foul against backup tight end David Thomas, who shoved an Indianapolis player to the ground after the whistle.

"I didn't see the play," Belichick said. "But you never want to have penalties."

What has become an annual game between the Patriots and the Colts -- even though they haven't been in the same division since 2001, they've played every season since 2003 -- is one that everyone looks forward to seeing.

While the Patriots won seven of the first eight games against Indianapolis in the Bill Belichick era, the Colts, with last year's 3-point win, now have won four of the last five.

Once again, the Colts will be coming into this season's game undefeated. For the 6-2 Patriots, Brady is back.

"They present a lot of challenges," Brady said of the Colts. "They always do. We have to play our best game."

As always, the game between the Colts and Pats promises to be one of the best of the season.