The rivalry between the Colts and Patriots just might stand the test of time

Anytime the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots square off, you can feel how real the rivalry between their fan bases still is.

The 33rd team acknowledged the longtime rivalry in their recent ranking of non-divisional rivalries in the NFL.

The Colts and Patriots came in at six on the list behind the following rivalries.

1. Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers
2. Dallas Cowboys vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers
4. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Las Vegas Raiders
5. Dallas Cowboys vs Green Bay Packers

The Colts and Patriots rivalry began during the epic duels between two of the greatest QBs ever to play, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady . The two had many legendary games throughout their Hall of Fame careers.

But even today, with both players most recently playing with different teams and retiring from the NFL, the rivalry lives on. Both fan bases have an unreal disdain for the opposite franchise. And the feeling of beating the Patriots still feels like Christmas morning to most Colts fans .

Over the past few seasons, the loudest I've heard Lucas Oil Stadium even came during a game between the two teams. RB Jonathan Taylor's game-sealing touchdown run against the Patriots in 2021 caused the stadium to erupt.

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