RealGM

INDIANAPOLIS – Since the turn of the century, no NFL teams have piled up better records than the two who will meet on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Divisional realignment back in 2002 has done nothing to derail the Colts and Patriots storied rivalry.

Sunday night marks the 15th time the teams have met since the start of the 2003 season.

It’s remarkable that these two teams continually play each other, year after year, despite not sharing division allegiance any more.

The reason is a byproduct of winning like no other teams have over the past decade and a half.

The Patriots know they can't treat Andrew Luck like any other quarterback. In just his third season, he's already one of the most prolific passers game, and his size (6-foot-4, 240 pounds) and athleticism make him one of the toughest to tackle.

On third down, where the Patriots defense ranks in the bottom-third of the league, Luck's skill set is a daunting one. To keep him under wraps, Bill Belichick explained on Patriots All-Access, the opposition may be best served by treating Luck as an extra receiver.

"He's like a sixth receiver in those situations," Belichick said. "You have to cover the five eligible guys, but you also have to keep an eye on him running for three, four, five, six yards something like that where it's not that far. He can easily get that. It puts more pressure on the defense to take away that sixth option."