It was a stormy afternoon in Foxborough, Massachusetts on January 18, 2004 for the 2003 AFC Championship game. As a mixture of snow and rain fell on Gillette Stadium, the New England Patriots were also casting a darkness upon the Indianapolis Colts. It was the first matchup of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning on a big stage. It ended up being a showcase for Brady’s efficiency, as Manning was unable to execute in the face of a fierce defensive effort from the Patriots.
In addition to Brady and Manning, this game features many faces that are still familiar to audiences today. Greg Gumbel and Phil Simms were in the broadcast booth for CBS. Tony Dungy was coaching the Colts and Bill Belichick was patrolling the New England sidelines in his traditional hoodie. The first drive also plays out in familiar fashion, with Tom Brady orchestrating a meticulous 7-minute march down the field. Using a supporting cast that included names like Deon Branch and Troy Brown, Brady executes short passes and uses running back Antoine Smith effectively as the Patriots score a touchdown and jump out to a 7-0 lead with the conversion.
When Peyton Manning finally got the ball, he followed suit by marching his troops down the field in a similar drive. It was clear that due to the wet weather and the natural grass surface which was still present at Gillette Stadium, it was not going to be a day for big plays. But unlike the Patriots, the Colts came away empty handed as Manning threw an interception in the end zone to Rodney Harrison. It was unfortunately a preview of things to come for Manning.
As the second quarter began, Brady drove his team down the field again, but this time, they settle for an Adam Vinatieri field goal. The 3 points were saved by Troy Brown, who punched the ball out of Nick Harper’s hands as he was set to intercept a Brady pass deep in Colts territory. Bill Belichick’s Patriots always seemed to make these kinds of small plays that end up making a big difference in the end. Another Patriot making plays was Ty Law, as he snagged a Manning pass attempt for an interception on the Colts next drive.
The mishaps continued for the Colts as they were once again stymied by the Patriots defense the next time they had the ball. This time, a high snap over punter Hunter Smith cost the Colts 2 more points, as Smith’s only option was to chase the ball down and kick it through his own end zone for a safety. It’s now 15-0 for the home side, and the Colts chances of winning this game are beginning to look as bleak as the weather. Although the Colts did get some luck later in the quarter on a Patriots fumble, Marvin Harrison gave the ball right back to them by fumbling after receiving a Manning pass. As the dying seconds of the first half tick away, Gumbel makes mention of some comeback victories the Colts had throughout the year in an attempt to keep the audience interested.
Perhaps he is on to something. The Colts receive the second half kickoff and get a great return to start. Manning and his offense string together some first downs and finally end up in the end zone for a score. But the Patriots are not phased and reply with a field goal. The best that Manning can do to answer back is throw another interception into the arms of Ty Law. As the third quarter ended, the Colts chances once again seemed to be dwindling, as they were now down 21-7 after another Vinatieri field goal.
Through three quarters, I have to say that this game seemed to have fewer penalties and instant replay reviews and as a result, it had better flow than one you’d see today. But the technology of today is definitely something that makes the viewing better. The yellow first down line that appears on screen looked like a laser beam, and the one on today’s telecasts blends in a bit better. And the score at the top corner of the screen appeared less often, and did not include how many timeouts each team had remaining.
As the fourth quarter got underway, Brady threw a pick of his own to Walt Harris. A stat then appeared on screen to show that it was Brady’s first interception in 330 pass attempts at home. This crazy number indicates how consistent and ruthlessly accurate Brady already was at this young age.
Although the Colts go on to add a touchdown and make the score 21-14, they really didn’t seem to threaten the Patriots at any point in the game. The fourth quarter still featured the Patriots defense applying immense pressure and sacking Manning. The likes of Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi, and Roman Phifer were in top form, and their work helped to cause a third interception by Ty Law, capping off an epic performance for him and his defensive mates.
The final score ended up at 24-14 as the celebrations began in Foxborough. The celebrating would continue two weeks later as the Patriots took Super Bowl XXXVIII in Houston by a score of 32-29 over the Carolina Panthers. That game featured the famous wardrobe malfunction during the halftime show. There was nothing wrong with how the Patriots functioned during the 2003 season and playoffs though. Their second Super Bowl in three years helped to solidify them as the dominant team of the decade, and paved the way for them to reign over the next one, too.
Not-so-instant-replay 