During the 1996 season, Tennessee junior quarterback Peyton Manning was considered the front-runner to be the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NFL draft. He chose to stay in school for his senior year.

And in doing so, history was changed.

After that season, Bill Parcells bolted New England for the Jets, who held the No. 1 pick in the draft. With Manning unavailable, the Jets traded down with the Rams, who took Ohio State tackle Orlando Pace, and snagged James Farrior eighth overall, as Parcells started his rebuilding effort. Manning went to the Colts the next year at the top of the draft.

So with another Colts-Pats game on the horizon, I think it's interesting to raise what I consider to be the NFL's ultimate "What If?" ... What if Manning came out after his junior year, and what if Parcells and the Jets selected him first overall?

It's a mind-bending question. It's almost certain the Colts (who very well could've wound up with Ryan Leaf as their quarterback-of-the-future in this scenario) wouldn't be where they are now. As for the Patriots ...

Had the Jets gotten Manning, New York would've been set up nicely. Remember, just when the club seemed ready to compete for a championship, in 1999 under Parcells, Vinny Testaverde's Achilles injury devastated the Jets' chances, the team stumbled to a 1-6 start and needed a furious late-season rally to get to 8-8. Then, Parcells left, Belichick went to New England, and the rest is history.

The Colts ascended, the Patriots exploded, and the Jets have been wildly inconsistent since. Would Belichick have left New York if Manning was there? Would Parcells have stuck around longer? Would Manning be a different player? Would Tom Brady have gone somewhere else, and still become what he is now?

Amazing to think that, almost 13 years later, a 20-year-old's choice to remain a college kid for one more year continues to have such an impact.

The assumption is that a key matchup in this week's Colts-Patriots game will be Brandon McGowan vs. Dallas Clark.

That's fair. Clark is without question a key to everything Indy does offensively, and McGowan's been the man that Patriots coaches have charged with following around big-time tight ends Tony Gonzalez and Kellen Winslow this year.

But here's another name to keep in mind going into this game, in regards to Clark: Adalius Thomas. Three years ago, Thomas -- at the time, playing as Rex Ryan's Swiss Army knife of a defender -- played a big part in Baltimore's game-plan to slow Clark down. The result: Clark finished with two catches for 41 yards, and while the Ravens lost the game, they were able to keep Peyton Manning and Co. out of the end zone altogether.

Clark has a team-high 60 catches this year. And once again, he presents a challenge because of his versatility. To deal with that, Thomas said, the defense has to be similarly flexible.

"I think it’s just their system. They have everything," Thomas told me yesterday. "They have plays that look alike, there’s run, there’s pass. You have to be on top of your game, and he’s key there -- he runs good routes, he’s quick, he’s fast, he’s got very good hands. You gotta change it up, do different stuff, and try to keep him off-balance."

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After many players made an appearance at practice today, here's the rundown:

OUT
DE Jarvis Green, knee
WR Brandon Tate, knee
RB Fred Taylor, ankle

DOUBTFUL
LT Matt Light, knee

QUESTIONABLE
S Brandon Meriweather, foot
LB Eric Alexander, shoulder
TE Chris Baker, shoulder
LB Tully Banta-Cain, groin
WR Julian Edelman, forearm
NT Ron Brace, ankle
C Dan Koppen, knee
RB Sammy Morris, knee
S James Sanders, groin
DE Ty Warren, ankle

PROBABLE
QB Tom Brady, right shoulder
CB Shawn Springs, knee
TE Ben Watson, back

WR Randy Moss was taken off the injury report.

For the Colts, WR Anthony Gonzalez, DB Kelvin Hayden, and K Adam Vinatieri have been ruled out. DB Aaron Francisco and QB Jim Sorgi are questionable.

As Albert Breer detailed right down there, Brian Hoyer has done admirable work simulating the experience of facing Peyton Manning in practice. There's only one problem.

"Nobody do him like him,"safety Brandon Meriweather said. "He's a soon-to-be Hall of Famer.

"It's tough to do everything against Peyton. He can run a fast-paced offense. He can run a slow-paced offense. He knows what you're running before you know what you're running. I guess that's what makes him so good."

How does a defense prepare to stop Manning, with all the weapons he has?

"Pray," Meriweather said. "You really can't. You just got to in and play your normal game and pray that he misses a couple open passes."

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We talked last week about how Isaiah Stanback did a bang-up job preparing the Patriots defense for the Dolphins' option game, playing Pat White and Ronnie Brown for the scout team. We got this week's practice hero earlier, straight from Bill Belichick: rookie QB Brian Hoyer.

Hoyer, of course, is playing the role of Peyton Manning.

"I’ll say that right up front, he’s done a real good job running the Colts offense for our defense, running the scout team," said Belichick. "He’s run the plays and made the decisions in giving our defense the looks that probably are most similar to what Manning would do. So he’s done a nice job of that."

Perhaps the most challenging part, for Hoyer, was finding a way to give the defense the looks they need to prepare for Manning's at-the-line adjustments. Belichick emphasized today, and has all week, that it's rare that Manning will leave the Colts in a bad play for the defense he's facing.

So the scout-team QB has be able, somehow, to make like an audibling Hall-of-Famer.

"In our terminology, yes," Belichick said. "(Manning) doesn’t run a lot of bad plays, so if it’s a bad play, a bad defense, then he’s gonna go to something else. That’s pretty much what Brian’s done for us. Whatever plays we have called, if our defense happens to be in a look that we probably wouldn’t keep him in that, that Peyton wouldn’t run that play against, and then we have to go to something else.

"We don’t know what it’s going to be, of course, but it’s the process, the flexibility they have at the line of scrimmage, that was well-simulated."

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The Patriots practiced inside the Dana Farber Field House today, a move, you'd assume, aimed at simulating the atmosphere the team might encounter at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday night.

And ... about that: this stadium's noise factor doesn't pose near the problem that the RCA Dome did. In the older indoor facilities -- you could toss the Metrodome, Superdome, Astrodome and Silverdome in that group -- it could be hard to hear the person sitting next to you.

In some of the expansive newer places, like Lucas Oil Stadium and Ford Field (domes that are structured like fieldhouses), noise doesn't get trapped the way it did in the dated domes. And it's not a secret either. My pal Gregg Rosenthal wrote about it here. And no less of an authority than Tom Brady hinted at it, as well.

"Any dome is typically loud," Brady said. "The RCA Dome was exceptionally loud, you couldn't hear anything in there. I've heard that this is a fairly loud stadium. They have great fans. The RCA Dome was - I think from what I hear - a little bit louder, Peyton actually told me that. But this one sounds much more luxurious."

The midseason All-Pro teams are out, and Patriots S Brandon Meriweather's getting all the respect in the world here. He made the cut on the lists of ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Pro Football Weekly.

There are mitigating factors to Meriweather's selection, it should be known. Bob Sanders played in just two games before going on IR, Troy Polamalu missed four games, and Ed Reed is fighting through shoulder and neck issues that, he concedes, have affected his play.

Stephen Gostkowski's name was the only other one from the New England roster to appear -- he got on to the SI team, put together by Peter King. Here's what each spot had to say about Meriweather ...

ESPN: The best strong safety on this planet is clearly Troy Polamalu, but the Pittsburgh star missed four games because of knee injury. Meriwether is stout against the run (43 tackles), and has played surprisingly well against the pass.

Pro Football Weekly: The Patriots lost a ton of veteran leadership with the departures of Rodney Harrison(notes), Tedy Bruschi(notes), Mike Vrabel(notes) and Richard Seymour(notes). But the defense has performed admirably, and Harrison has gone on record as saying that Meriweather is the team’s defensive MVP. Meriweather is starting to show the instincts that made fellow Miami (Fla.) safeties like Ed Reed(notes) and Sean Taylor(notes) stars. Meriweather’s breakout game came in London against the Buccaneers, when he snared two interceptions, returning one 39 yards for a touchdown.

Sports Illustrated: Starting to play with the instinct of Rodney Harrison.

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FOXBOROUGH -- The Patriots are practicing inside the Dana-Farber Field House today and there were a few players back at the media-portion of practice. WR Julian Edelman, OT Matt Light, RB Sammy Morris, LB Eric Alexander and C Dan Koppen were all present for the media portion. S Brandon Meriweather, who had missed the previous two practices due to a foot injury also was back.

The only missing players were WR Brandon Tate, RB Fred Taylor and DL Jarvis Green.

Sunday night, the Patriots pass rush will try to do one of the most difficult things in sports: sack Peyton Manning.

On the 322 plays he has dropped back to pass, Manning has been sacked seven times. The rate of 2.2 percent leads the NFL, and it owes more to Manning than his offensive line.

“He gets rid of the ball,” coach Bill Belichick said. “He throws it away. The only way to sack him is for somebody to come that he doesn’t expect – the guy’s blocked and he beats a block and Peyton’s not thinking about him or for some reason he just doesn’t see him. If he sees him coming, he’ll get rid of the ball. And he has a quick release anyway.

“Historically, we’ve seen people blitz him, and the blitzer comes clean from the center guard gap or right from the line of scrimmage, and he still gets rid of it. And sometimes for big plays.”

“It’s not so difficult getting to him,” linebacker Tully Banta-Cain said. “It’s getting to him before he throws the ball. He has a quick release. We watch film, you see him getting hit almost every time. But he’s getting the ball off and completing it. It’s a tough task.”

While the Patriots may not be able to sack Manning, his quick release does not negate the importance of applying pressure. According to the web site Pro Football Focus, Manning has a 108.5 passer rating when not facing pressure and a 91.2 rating when he does.

“He’s a very poised guy in the pocket, but he can get happy feet,” Banta-Cain said. “The more you can get him to move around and have him stumble around the pocket, that buys time for guys on the back end to stay on their coverage.”

Right now on boston.com, you can vote on the NFL's best rivalry. Patriots-Colts is in there, but its competition came in, chiefly, wars that go well beyond one era.

Browns-Steelers is on the list. But if you ask Pittsburgh's players who their most hated opponent is, I'd bet, to a man, it'd be Baltimore. And vice versa. Take the Jets linebacker Bart Scott -- late of the Ravens -- at his word for this, in referencing newfound hate for Miami.

"This is beef. It ain't got nothing to do with a must-win. To me, this is my new Pittsburgh," said Scott to the New York media a couple weeks back. "I've been searching for one, and I found it."

See? Scott's point-of-reference for distaste was with the Steelers (which, I guess, really IS the direct descendant of the original Browns). Is it Pats-Colts? Actually, it's close.

No, there's not a lay-up quarterback storyline. But there are big names on each side, such as Hines Ward in Pittsburgh and Ray Lewis in Baltimore, that have been around for a long time. Both franchises have contended for most of this decade, and each has a championship. Plus, where there's respect between the Colts and Patriots, there's genuine, old-fashion hate between the Steelers and Ravens.

Ward actually told reporters in Pittsburgh before last year's AFC title game "I love being the most hated guy" in Baltimore. Scott, back then, called the showdown "an opportunity for one of our organizations to really build up the level of hatred."

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Colts DE Dwight Freeney was back at practice today after missing yesterday because of a non-injury related reason. The rest of the report is below.

WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee) DNP
DB Kelvin Hayden (knee) DNP
QB Jim Sorgi (right shoulder (DNP
K Adam Vinatieri (right knee) DNP

Former UConn star Donald Brown looks to make an impact with Colts on Sunday.

INDIANAPOLIS --- Running back Donald Brown, the Colts' first-round pick from the University of Connecticut, returned to practice Wednesday after suffering a left shoulder contusion in an Oct. 25 game against the Rams. Brown, whose status remained uncertain for Sunday's game against the Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium, was hopeful of getting back on the field, saying his shoulder ``felt good'' following Wednesday's practice session at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.

Here's an excerpt of a brief chat we had with him in the Colts locker room today.

Q: How was it to be inactive for the last two games?
A: It's very frustrating and it's part of the game and I've just got to overcome it.

A:Good, good. I should be out there on Sunday ready to go.

Q: Was it a positive development?
A: Right, yeah, it felt good [Wednesday]. You just have to take it one game at a time and hopefully, Sunday I'll be out there

Q: You'll be reunited with Darius Butler Sunday night and, obviously, both of you were teammates with Jasper Howard. How did you learn about Howard's stabbing?
A: I had a text message from one of my good friends, Scott Lutrus, who's still on the team playing outside linebacker. I mean, he sent it and it was early morning, must have been like 4 o'clock in the morning. I got up and read it and I had to re-read it. I was like `How could this happen?' It's really a shame.

Q: Did Jazz look up to Darius?
A: I know Jazz and him played the same position and I think Darius was almost a mentor to Jazz, coming from the same area in Florida and playing the same posiiton, so I know Jazz really looked up to Darius and Darius was a really good friend to him, so, yeah, I know it was a tough thing for Darius.

Q: What does it feel like, as a rookie, to be involved with an organization like the Colts and on a team that's 8-0?
A: Yeah, we're 8-0, but we just have to take it one day at a time, one game at a time and you can't get too far ahead of yourself. I'm grateful to be a great organization like this with great people in it. I just look to contribute in any way possible.

FOXBOROUGH -- The official practice/injury report for today is out.

Patriots
LB Eric Alexander (groin) DNP
WR Julian Edelman (forearm) DNP
DE Jarvis Green (knee) DNP
C Dan Koppen (knee) DNP
T Matt Light (knee) DNP
S Brandon Meriweather (foot) DNP
RB Sammy Morris (knee) DNP
WR Brandon Tate (knee) DNP
RB Fred Taylor (ankle) DNP
DE Ty Warren (ankle) DNP

TE Chris Baker (shoulder) Limited (first day on report)
LB Tully Banta-Cain (groin) Limited (first day on report)

QB Tom Brady (shoulder) Full
CB Shawn Springs (knee) Full
TE Benjamin Watson (back) Full

Indianapolis
TBA

FOXBOROUGH -- Patriots offensive lineman Dan Connolly has been signed and cut and signed again by the Patriots. The ups and downs of the process can be frustrating, but Connolly accepts it all as part of the deal.

"It's just the business that we're in," Connolly said. "At this position it takes a lot of development I think. It takes a few years to learn the system and just to be groomed to work in any particular system. It's a little difficult but it's just the way it goes for our position and we accept that and just keep working hard to finally one day get there."

Last week, Connolly went from the sidelines to center when Dan Koppen injured his knee against the Dolphins. Koppen did not practice yesterday and was not seen at the media portion of practice today.

If Koppen is unable to go, Connolly would get the call at center in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Connolly said he has taken snaps everyday before practice with quarterback Tom Brady and he is comfortable with operating out of the shotgun and with a silent count.

While Connolly continues to prepare for this week, he said Koppen has been working with him "giving me tips on things to work on and making sure my timing is good."

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For the second straight week, Patriots rookie cornerback Darius Butler will reunite with one of his college teammates from Connecticut. Last week, he faced Dolphins offensive lineman Donald Thomas. On Sunday, he’ll see Colts running back Donald Brown, a first-round pick.

Butler, a second-round choice, said he and Brown “were pretty tight” during their four years together at UConn. (Brown left school after his junior season, but he redshirt his freshman year.) Butler has kept up with Brown during the year, and they’ve been in contact this week.

“I’ll keep it between us,” Butler said. “We talk trash back and forth.”

Brown rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns on 46 carries during the first six games of the seasons, but he injured his shoulder during the first quarter against the Rams in Week 7. Brown missed the past two games, but he has not been listed on the injury report this week.

Butler has been more and more playing time recently. playing roughly 50 snaps in each of the past three games.

"You definitely get more comfortable with every rep you take," Butler said. "I'm just still trying to learn the system, just gain everybody's trust."

In every NFL game, there are stories like these.

Myron Pryor remembers being 9 or 10 years old, and watching Peyton Manning play his beloved Kentucky Wildcats as a Tennessee Vol. Darius Butler can recall being a huge Reggie Wayne fan, being from South Florida and rooting for the Miami Hurricanes, and following No. 87 career with the Colts.

Now, those guys have to go up against these established NFL stars. Will it be weird to look across the field and see Manning, as an opponent, in pregame at Lucas Oil Stadium?

"Not now," Butler said. "If you’d asked me that a few months ago, I’d have probably said yeah. You kinda get used to it, coming into training camp, playing with guys on your team that who’ve been in the league. Randy Moss, I’ve been watching him since I can remember. Junior Seau, he was drafted when I three or four.

"You get over that. We’re really preparing and focusing on beating him. He’s a great quarterback, it’s a great challenge."

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From colleague Adam Kilgore, who's up at Patriots practice now, here's the list of players missing from the portion open to the media. Randy Moss is back after missing yesterday's practice for non-injury-related reasons. ...

WR Julian Edelman
S Brandon Meriweather
RB Sammy Morris
C Dan Koppen
LT Matt Light
LB Eric Alexander
DL Jarvis Green
RB Fred Taylor
WR Brandon Tate

I swear I'm not posting that video to tweak you guys ... Promise.

It's to illustrate what Tully Banta-Cain's final memory of being a Patriot was before he bolted for San Francisco, via free agency. That AFC Championship Game loss to the Colts still sticks in Banta-Cain's craw -- particularly since the Niners weren't exactly winning big in his three years there.

"Obviously, we lost a game I thought we should’ve won, and it was in Indy, so it was a hostile environment," Banta-Cain said. "It’s the classic, ‘You can never count the Colts out.’ What was it, 21-3? Perfect example of why you can fall asleep at the wheel with them because they can score at any time from any place on the field."

And that's exactly what the Colts did in that one.

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A day after safety Patrick Chung received a $7,500 fine from the league for his hit Sunday on Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne, Chung said he didn't realize the tackle would draw a pentalty, calling it "an honest mistake." NFL rules on quarterback hits are far more stringent then college, which Chung, as a rookie, is still adjusting.

"Just got to get used to them," Chung said. "It was an honest mistake. It wasn’t intentional. I would never try to do that and get the fine, the penalty. But it’s a game. Things happen. I don’t make the rules. I’m not mad about it at all."

On Sunday, Chung blitzed up the middle on a third-down play and drilled Henne under the chin. The hit drew a 15-yard penalty for a helmet-to-helmet hit. Chung surged through Henne with his head up, his facemask hit Henne's chest as the crown of his helmet smacked Henn's chin, making Henne's head violently snap backward. Replays showed it was a close call.

"Yeah, but, I just got to watch it a little more," Chung said. "I thought I was just trying to make a tackle. I never thought about it. I don’t make the rules. Just playing the game."

On his national conference call yesterday, Patriots QB Tom Brady revealed that he has, in fact, kept tabs on the Saints' relentless offense, even if just out of the corner of his eye.

I ran the numbers two weeks ago and, needless to say, New Orleans hasn't let up much since.

"The numbers they’re putting up are pretty unbelievable," Brady said. "I thought we were having a great year two years ago, but to see them on pace to break those numbers it’s challenging to do and they’re doing a great job of that. Any team who plays the Saints you’ve got to… I’ve seen a couple of their games this year because we’ve played some similar opponents and you have to play a four quarter game against them. They’re talented at every position. They really force pressure, in all three phases of the game, on the other team."

Really enjoyed David Fleming's piece in the current edition of ESPN the Magazine, which highlights how misdirection is the key to all the Saints do -- something that someone who grew up playing in a wing-T offense can appreciate. Another point Fleming made was how New Orleans really needs a ringmaster like Drew Brees to make it all work.

So for all the Brady-Manning talk this week, I think whether Brees has crashed the party is a question worth asking. Look at the numbers, through eight weeks:

BRADY
204-310 (65.8 percent), 2,364 yards, 16 TD, 5 INT, 99.2 rating

BREES
181-265 (68.3 percent), 2,336 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT, 106.1 rating

MANNING
221-313 (70.6 percent), 2,545 yards, 16 TD, 5 INT, 105.2 rating

The other two in my top five, Ben Roethlisberger (70.6 completion percentage, 2,295 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT, 104.1 rating) and Philip Rivers (60.6 completion percentage, 2,245 yards, 14 TD, 6 INT, 94.6) probably deserve mention here too. Roethlisberger's certainly playing to that level.

One thing: I'm not making this argument from a historical perspective. But just based on this year, I think Brady and Manning do have company.