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November 15, 2012

Colts, Patriots renew rivalry for 10th straight year

Tom James Tribune-Star Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS — Once again, Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., it’s the Indianapolis Colts playing the New England Patriots.

The two franchises haven’t been in the AFC East since 2001. Yet due to the quirks of the NFL scheduling system, this is the 10th straight year that the Colts and Patriots have faced off against one another.

“It’s like a division game,” New England coach Bill Belichick said during Wednesday’s teleconference.

First it was rookie quarterback Peyton Manning and veteran Patriots signal-caller Drew Bledsoe. Then it was Manning and a young Tom Brady. Now it’s come full circle to be former Super Bowl MVP Brady and Colts rookie quarterback Andrew Luck.

Times have changed. So has the makeup of the two franchises.

The only constants in the series over the last 10 years have been Belichick, who is in his 13th season with the Patriots, and Brady.

Indianapolis, meanwhile, has countered on the sidelines with Jim Mora, Tony Dungy, Jim Caldwell and now interim coach/offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

Arians, filling in for coach Chuck Pagano as he recovers from treatments for leukemia, knows the Patriots well from his days as an assistant with Indianapolis, Cleveland and, most recently, Pittsburgh.

That knowledge of how Belichick likes to set up defenses against inexperienced quarterbacks should come in handy.

Arians, though, says the Colts won’t be doing much different in how they prepare for the Patriots as compared to other opponents this season.

“I think at this point of the time in the year, when you get into November football and you are in the hunt, everyone should spend a little more time, sacrifice a little bit more, to prepare yourself because you are playing for now. To play for more, you do more,” he said Wednesday.

“I don’t think [Luck] has to do anything different than he’s been doing. Study the tape, it’s all out there. We have had a pretty good relationship and I’ve had a good experience against coach Belichick over the years with young quarterbacks and old quarterbacks. I kind of feel that I have a pretty good handle of what to see. We’ll have him ready.”

Physiologically, Arians wants to make sure his rookie quarterback doesn’t get caught up in the notion that he has to match everything Brady does on the field Sunday.

“The thing about that is [Luck has] got to realize that [he doesn’t] play Tom Brady. [He and the rest of the offense] have to get ready for their defense,” he said.

“The best way to handle Tom Brady is to play real good yourself and keep him on the bench. That’s easier said than done with their defense.”

Going on the road to Gillette Stadium with a young team is not an easy task in the best of situations. Arians knows that.

“We have to first and foremost protect the football because they lead the league in turnovers. They’ve got 13 fumbles and 10 interceptions. When we’re in piles, a half a yard doesn’t mean as much as protect the football,” he said.

“They do a great job of stripping the ball. It’s a matter of you executing your offense, scoring as many points as you can and let the team take care of the rest. Don’t get caught up standing there and watching [Brady].”

The fact that over two-thirds of the Colts’ roster wasn’t around last year can be more than a little disconcerting.

“It’s funny because I had a show of hands of how many guys in the lockerroom that this was their first trip to Foxborough. Way too many,” Arians said with a laugh and a shake of his head.

•  Injury list — Cornerback Vontae Davis (knee) and rookie tight end Coby Fleener (shoulder) have been ruled out of the New England game.

Davis and Fleener, though, might be back in time for the following week’s home game with Buffalo.

“We’re hoping [getting Davis back] possibly next week, shooting for Detroit for sure but we got our fingers crossed he can get back next week,” Arians said. “Coby ran around a lot last week and is starting to heal. It could be next week also for him.”

Outside linebacker Robert Mathis (back), center Samson Satele (back), offensive tackle Winston Justice (knee) and running back Donald Brown (knee) all fully participated in Wednesday’s practice.

• Chapman might see work -- Rookie nose tackle Josh Chapman is expected to be brought along slowly in the week leading up to the Patriots game.

Chapman was added to the active roster earlier this week after being cleared to play. He had been sidelined since undergoing knee surgery in January. The former Alabama standout may be a game-day inactive depending on how he does the rest of this week in practice.

“It’s just a matter of if he’s healthy and if he’s the next best player we have to dress on Sunday. We’ll make that determination as the week goes along,” Arians said. “He’s been cleared to play. We have some nice depth in our defensive line right now so there’s not a need to push him out there if he’s not ready. We’ll wait and see how that goes.”

Rookie offensive tackle Justin Anderson, who has been out with a foot injury since the start of training camp, is going through the same three-week review process that Chapman just completed.

“He’s coming along. He’s practiced two or three weeks now, two weeks. He’s got a long way to go consistency-wise. Hopefully we can keep him going. We don’t have to make that [roster] move for at least another week,” Arians said.

• Butler did it — Cornerback Darius Butler has been named as the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Jacksonville last Thursday.

A second-round pick by New England in 2009, Butler had a pair of interceptions — including one run back for a touchdown — in the win over the Jaguars. He also recovered a fumble that helped set up the Colts’ first touchdown of the game.

While he was in New England, Butler became friends with Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker. The two former teammates will renew acquaintances Sunday.

“Obviously, I was there for two years with Wes. We actually work out offseason at the same place, so we’re definitely familiar with each other as far as athletic ability,” Butler said. “It’ll be a great matchup. He’s one of the best receivers in the game, obviously one of the most productive in the past few years in this league. It’ll be a great matchup for us, for this defense.”

 

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SPT 061813 BROWN DRIVE.jpg

Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Two in one: Golfer Brian Brown watches his drive fly towards the second hole at Mark's Par Three golf course on Tuesday. Brown recently hit two holes in one in a week at the course.

  • Hughes, News & Views: Terre Haute ‘hacker' accomplishes Mark’s Par Three first

    It’s no secret that Mark’s Par Three is not the most difficult golf course in Vigo County.
    But it’s enjoyable for beginners and golfers of modest skill levels and it doesn’t lack for activity during warm-weather months.
    Open since 1964, it’s had its fair share of players test their skills, probably several better than 43-year-old Brian Brown of Terre Haute.

    June 19, 2013 2 Photos

  • Prettyman getting comfortable as boss

    At first glance, it would be easy to look at first-year Terre Haute Rex manager Ronnie Prettyman and expect him to have a difficult journey during his maiden voyage as a baseball manager.
    Managing in the Prospect League isn’t the easiest job in the world.
    Rosters change constantly, especially early in the season when players are still reporting from their college teams. The travel is arduous — a night game in far-off Quincy, Ill., could be followed by a home game, followed by a game at equally far-off Hannibal, Mo. The players have to acclimate themselves to playing every day after having played a maximum of five games a week at the college level.

    June 19, 2013

  • Metro roundup: ISU’s Gant to go to Africa with Athletes in Action

    Indiana State junior Justin Gant has been invited to travel to the Ivory Coast this summer as part of an Athletes In Action basketball tour.
    “I am extremely honored to be given this opportunity to not only play basketball with and against some great players during this tour, but to also share my Christian faith with those in the Ivory Coast,” Gant commented. “I’m looking forward to growing as a person by delivering aid to those in Africa and by sharing my faith with those we come in contact with. This will also be a great chance to continue to improve on the basketball court just before we start our workouts at Indiana State in the fall.”

    June 19, 2013

  • SPT 061713 KURT KUDRECKI 2.jpg Loss drops Rex into first-place tie

    In a battle for first place in the West Division of the Prospect League baseball standings, the Terre Haute Rex fell just short Monday night at Bob Warn Field.

    June 18, 2013 4 Photos

  • Seven players from Terre Haute Rex taken in Major League draft

    Seven players who are alumni of the Terre Haute Rex in the past four years achieved their dream of becoming professional baseball players when taken in the Major League Baseball draft earlier this month.

    June 18, 2013

  • RAMBLIN’ RECK: Catching up on some things

    Catching up — on all-state softball honors and a new basketball coach in Illinois.

    June 18, 2013

  • METRO ROUNDUP: Hutson comes home, has personal best

    Kylie Hutson returned to her home town Saturday to set a personal outdoor record, clearing 15-feet-5 in highlighting the Sycamore Open pole vault competition at Marks Field.

    June 18, 2013

  • Checking in with cancer survivor

    The last time the Tribune-Star visited with Amy Bagnoche, July of 2012, she was fighting back tears talking about her own battle with breast cancer and the battles that others were facing.

    June 18, 2013

  • SPT 061613 JACOB JOHNSON.jpg Post 346 rebounds to win Terre Haute Invitational

    It’s an interesting dance that Wayne Newton Post 346 and Evansville Pate Post 265 have developed in American Legion baseball’s Terre Haute Invitational, and the last waltz was saved for the host team Sunday.

    June 17, 2013 3 Photos

  • CWS Indiana Louisvil.jpg DeNato proves IU can pitch too

    Joey DeNato dispelled the notion that College World Series newcomer Indiana is all about offense.
    The junior left-hander threw a four-hitter and the Hoosiers looked mighty comfortable at TD Ameritrade Park while beating Louisville 2-0 on Saturday night.

    June 17, 2013 1 Photo

Local Interest
SPT 061613 JACOB JOHNSON.jpg

Score: Post 346 runner #6 Jacob Johnson scores after a collision with the Pate catcher in the fourth inning Sunday afternoon.

High School
College
CWS Indiana Louisvil.jpg

Indiana starting pitcher Joey DeNato (23) celebrates throwing out Louisville's Coco Johnson (20) at first for the second out in the bottom of the ninth inning in an NCAA College World Series game in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, June 15, 2013 (AP Photo/The World-Herald, Ryan Soderlin) MAGS OUT; ALL NEBRASKA LOCAL BROADCAST TV OUT

  • DeNato proves IU can pitch too

    Joey DeNato dispelled the notion that College World Series newcomer Indiana is all about offense.
    The junior left-hander threw a four-hitter and the Hoosiers looked mighty comfortable at TD Ameritrade Park while beating Louisville 2-0 on Saturday night.

    June 17, 2013 1 Photo

  • Etherington, Moore happy to be with ISU basketball

    Not even two weeks into their college experience, Indiana State freshmen men’s basketball players Alex Etherington and Demetrius Moore stood sentinel as 115 kids ran around them collecting basketballs and getting autographs at the Greg Lansing Basketball Camp on Thursday.

    June 14, 2013

  • ISU's Johnson invited to World University Games

    Indiana State senior Felisha Johnson will be traveling the world this summer after being named to represent the United States in the women’s shot put at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia.

    June 12, 2013

  • McNichols and Swift 1.jpg FROM THE PRESS BOX: Close, but no cigar, theme for ISU sports in 2012-13

    When I covered my first event of Indiana State’s 2012-13 season — ISU’s opening football game at Indiana — I was the first one in the press box at IU’s Memorial Stadium. I’m never the first one in the press box.
    Maybe the prospect of ISU’s season had me so pumped that I decided to get it started close to three hours early? (Or more truthfully, maybe I was over-vigilent about predicted traffic horrors on the Indiana 46 bypass that never came to pass.)

    June 9, 2013 4 Photos

  • Q&A: ISU football coach Mike Sanford ready for fall

    It’s hard to believe, but Mike Sanford has already been Indiana State’s football coach for six months.
    Time flies, but Sanford’s task of preparing for his first season in charge of the Sycamores comes with few breaks.

    June 9, 2013

Sports Columns
SPT 061813 BROWN DRIVE.jpg

Tribune-Star/Joseph C. Garza Two in one: Golfer Brian Brown watches his drive fly towards the second hole at Mark's Par Three golf course on Tuesday. Brown recently hit two holes in one in a week at the course.

Pro Sports
Terre Haute Rex
Colts
Auto Racing
SPT 052613 KANAAN KISS.jpg

Winner's kiss: Tony Kanaan of KV Racing Technology kisses the yard of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. Kanaan won his first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday and kissed the bricks as part of a tradition at the Motor Speedway.

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