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 regular-season meeting between the two teams in 2003, in Indianapolis, one of the best games played by any two teams this decade.

All photos in the slideshow are by the Journal's Mary Murphy:

The NFL realigned its divisions in 2002, removing the Colts from the AFC East and placing them in the newly created AFC South.

That marked the first season since the merger between the AFL and the NFL in 1970 that the Pats and the Colts did not face each other. And, as it has turned out, it was the only time in the last 40 years the two longtime rivals have not met at least once.

As they had for so many years, the Pats and the Colts played each other twice in both 2003 and 2004. But now it was once during the regular season, once in the playoffs.

The Patriots won all four games -- games that were both memorable and momentous.

The first of the four took place in Indianapolis and, at first, it seemed as if it was going to be an easy win for New England, which jumped out to a 17-0 lead as Tom Brady completed 14 of his first 15 passes, including a 31-yard TD toss to Dedric Ward.

But the Colts trimmed that to 17-10 just 12 seconds before halftime when Peyton Manning capped an 86-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Marcus Pollard.

Then the Colts made a critical mistake.

Instead of squibbing a kick that couldn't be returned, Indy booted the ball deep to Bethel Johnson, who ran it back 92 yards for a touchdown.

"That was not a smart play on my part," Colts coach Tony Dungy admitted. "We should have kicked the ball on the ground, or high and short."

When the Patriots scored on their first possession of the second half, taking a 31-10 lead, they again seemed to have the game well in hand.

But that's when Brady suddenly went sour, and Manning and the Colts got hot.

Twice, Brady threw interceptions that Manning turned into touchdowns, trimming the Pats' lead to 31-24 heading into the fourth quarter, when the Colts tied the score on another TD pass by Manning.

Momentum proved to be fickle on this day, however.

No sooner had the Colts tied the game than Johnson popped another long return, this time a 67-yarder to the Indy 31. Four plays later, Brady threw a 13-yard TD pass to Deion Branch and the Patriots regained the lead, 38-31.

But the Colts were far from finished. They kicked a field goal to close to 38-34 and then, in the final seconds, drove downfield to a first-and-goal at the 2-yard line.

The Patriots were on the brink of blowing a game that once had appeared to be a blowout.

Brady admitted he was standing on the sideline: "Thinking, 'I can't believe we let this one get away.' "

But the Colts still had to get the ball into the end zone.

Twice, they sent star running back Edgerrin James into the middle of the line, but he gained only a yard, and so the Colts called their final timeout with the ball at the 1 and 18 seconds remaining.

On third down, Manning, who already had thrown for three touchdowns in the second half, and four in the game, tried for another on a fade route to Aaron Morehead, but Tyrone Poole had him covered in the end zone.

And so, as Bill Belichick said: "It all came down to the last play of the last drive of the last quarter."

It all came down to Willie McGinest.

Earlier in the Colts' final drive, McGinest had twisted his knee on a blitz and, for several minutes, lay prone on the field, unable to get up.

But, with the game on the line, he was determined to return to the lineup.

"I wasn't going to sit on the sidelines in that situation," he said.

Lining up at outside linebacker on the left side, McGinest said he: "Walked out as if I had the slot receiver. I was never going to be in coverage. I was only trying to make it look like I was helping out, so the slot receiver would think he couldn't come inside.

"I think they had a pass called at first. When Manning saw me moving toward the slot, he turned around and tapped his backside. That's usually their checkoff to a run. I crept in, and crept in, and then just came off the ball like a bat out of hell."

No sooner did James take the handoff from Manning then he was hit by McGinest, who dropped him for a loss in the backfield, preserving the Patriots' victory.

"This," said McGinest, "is what championship teams are made of."

He proved to be prophetic.