Indianapolis: NFL battle of the undefeated today

By Karyn Chenoweth Nov 4, 2007, 17:18 GMT

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (R) talks with teammate Russ Hochstein (L) after being removed from the game after the Patriots went up by a score of 45-0 in the fourth quarter of their game against the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA, 28 October 2007. EPA/MATT CAMPBELL

Undefeated reigning Super Bowl champion Indianapolis and unbeaten rival New England will meet today, Sunday (11/4/07) in a historic National Football League showdown.

This marks the first time since the NFL's creation in 1920 that two undefeated teams with records of at least 7-0 will meet.

Manning

"These are the kinds of games you like to play in," Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said. "It's exciting for us because we're trying to stay ahead of the pack. We need everyone to play well for us to have a chance to win."

Manning

Manning, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, and New England quarterback Tom Brady, a two-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, are the stars in this hotly anticipated match.

Brady

"They probably dislike us and we dislike them equally as far as that's concerned because we respect them and they respect us," said Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, who played 10 seasons for New England before joining Indy last year.

Manning

"We always have a chip on our shoulders when we play New England. We don't like them," Colts defensive tackle Raheem Brock said.

It's no wonder. The Patriots eliminated the Colts on their way to Super Bowl titles in 2004 and 2005. New England had won their major matchups until last year when the Colts downed the Patriots on their way to the crown.

Brady

"It's always big every time we play them. It always comes to us at the end of the season," Brock said. "We want to get this one this week. It's important."

ESPN reports that the New England Patriots, 8-0, have scored an NFL-best: 331 points and are set to smash the season scoring mark.

Their total of at least 34 points in each game this season is an NFL record. Their average win margin has been 25.5 points, thanks in big part to Tom Brady.

Brady (L)

Brady leads NFL passers with 198 completions in 267 throws for 2,431 yards and 30 touchdowns, putting him on pace to shatter the one-season touchdown pass record of 49 set by Manning in 2004.

The Colts have won 12 games in a row dating to last season, including a 38-34 triumph over New England in last year's AFC final. That was the Colts' third win in a row over the Patriots.

"We've watched a lot of film on them," Brady said. "The most impressive thing that I've seen is defensively they just don't give up any big plays. They don't give many long runs. They don't give many long passes."

Brady respects what Peyton Manning can do on the field.

"He does everything well," Brady said. "He's a leader. He's a clutch performer. He's always in command of the team and the offense. He can do it all."

ESPN lists Sunday's other NFL games:

Denver at Detroit, Carolina at Tennessee, San Diego at Minnesota, San Francisco at Atlanta, Washington at the New York Jets, Cincinnati at Buffalo, Jacksonville at New Orleans, Green Bay at Kansas City, Arizona at Tampa Bay, Seattle at Cleveland, Houston at Oakland, Dallas at Philadelphia and Baltimore at Pittsburgh on Monday night.