31-28

It was a game that lived up to all the hype, provided television viewers with a ton of excitement, and made TheBostonInsider drink way too many beers in celebration. The Patriots victory yesterday was important on a couple of different levels. It improved their record to 8-2, keeping the Pats in contention in the AFC East with the Jets and for the top overall playoff seed in the AFC. The win also helped build the confidence of a young defense that is starting to round into a championship unit. Lastly, it gave this group a win over Peyton Manning and the Colts, which has been a measuring stick of success for this organization over the past decade. Watching Manning nearly lead the Colts to a fourth quarter comeback, I had a feeling that the Patriots defense would make a big play. That is a confidence that I have not had since the glory days of 2001, 2003, and 2004. When Jermaine Cunningham forced Manning to loft that unnecessary (the Colts were already in Adam Vinatieri's field goal range) pass, I wasn't surprised to see James Sanders reach up and snag the ball out of the air, clinching the win. (Okay, I had that feeling in 2007 as well but teams that do not win the Super Bowl can't be described as being in the "glory days.") This team is now in a great position to build its resume as a legitimate Super Bowl contender over the next six weeks. Games at Detroit and Buffalo should be victories - though after the debacle in Cleveland three weeks ago, no win can be taken for granted - and games with the Jets, Packers, and Dolphins will be played in the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium. The only tough road game facing the Patriots down the stretch is at Chicago. On the other side, the Colts probably just missed their last opportunity to clinch one of the two top seeds in the AFC, meaning they will need to win three postseason games just to reach the Super Bowl. In a loaded AFC, that will be no easy task. For the record, Tom Brady is now 8-4 against Manning in his career. I would never try and claim that Manning isn't a great quarterback but Tom Brady is the bet of this generation and maybe is the greatest to ever play the position. The proof is the wins and championships that he continues to pile up year after year.