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 continue with a look at the 2003-04 AFC Championship Game, in the snow of Foxboro.

The Patriots had won 13 in a row when the Colts came to Foxboro to decide who'd be going to Houston for Super Bowl XXXVIII.

Indianapolis, too, was on a roll. With Peyton Manning throwing for eight touchdowns, without an interception, the Colts had piled up points in the playoffs, routing Denver, 41-10, and defeating the Chiefs, 38-31, in Kansas City.

But Manning had yet to win a game in Foxboro, where he was 0-4. He hadn't had much success against the Patriots, period, winning just 2 of 9 against them. Against Bill Belichick's New England teams, he was 1-4.

The Patriots were 3-0 in AFC championship games, having upset the Dolphins in Miami in '85, winning at home against Jacksonville in '96, then surprising the Steelers in Pittsburgh in '01.

And, as if all that weren't enough to give Patriots fans reason to like their team's chances, it was snowing. As if Manning and the Colts, used to playing in their climate-controlled, domed stadium, didn't have enough to deal with against New England's defense, they also were going to have to deal with New England weather.

It was a combination that proved too much for Indianapolis.

The game's most tellling statistic was this startler: Marvin Harrison, the Colts' standout wide receiver, had only 3 receptions, for just 19 yards; Ty Law, the Pats' star cornerback, had 3 interceptions, for 26 yards.

Confused by coverages he'd never before seen from the Patriots, Manning threw four interceptions. He also was sacked three times by Jarvis Green, who'd had just two sacks all season.

Strong safety Rodney Harrison came up big, too, intercepting Manning in the end zone in the first quarter, and also forcing a fumble at the New England 14 in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Tom Brady was connecting on 22 of 37 passes for 237 yards and a touchdown -- a 7-yarder to David Givens in the first quarter that gave the Patriots a lead they never relinquished.

It would be the only TD of the day for the Patriots, who got most of their points from the foot of kicker Adam Vinatieri, who booted five field goals.

Particularly impressive for the Pats was the performance of their offensive line, which had three players who, prior to the 2003 season, never had started an NFL game.

Rookie Dan Koppen stepped in at center in Week Two when Damien Woody, a Pro Bowler at the position in 2002, had to be shifted to right guard after veteran Mike Compton was placed on Injured Reserve. Two weeks later, right tackle Adrian Klemm joined Compton on I.R. His place was taken by Tom Ashworth. Then, in the Pats' AFC semifinal win over Tennessee, Woody was injured, so Russ Hochstein had to take over at right guard against Indianapolis.

Yet, not only was Brady not sacked by the Colts, but running back Antowain Smith was able to rush for 100 yards on 22 carries.

"They did a good job blocking us," Colts coach Tony Dungy said.

And the New England defense did a marvelous job confusing Manning.

"We gave them a couple of different looks," Belichick said. "I don't think we ever would have gone that route without some of the veteran players we have."

Particularly problematic for Manning were linebackers Mike Vrabel and Willie McGinest, who sometimes were aligned as down linemen, but more often dropped back in pass coverage, as the Pats frequently used just two down linemen.

"We wanted to flood the passing zones," inside linebacker Ted Johnson said, "and make Peyton hold the ball a little longer."

"They were worried about what other guys were doing," said McGinest, "and that opened the gates for (Green)."

Another thing the Pats did was get physical with the Colts' receivers as they came off the line of scrimmage.

"Our game plan," McGinest said, "was to bloody their nose a little bit -- every play, make contact with the receivers, the tight ends, the backs, make them earn every yard they got."

By doing so, the Patriots earned a second trip to the Super Bowl, where they won another championship by edging Carolina, 32-29, adding another Lombardi Trophy to the one they'd won in '01, when they stunned the Rams, 20-17, in Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans.