01:00 AM EST on Thursday, January 13, 2005

BY TOM E. CURRAN
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- Rain and snow pelted the turf at Gillette Stadium yesterday, saturating the Patriots' grass field just four days before the team hosts the super fast Indianapolis Colts.

During his morning press conference, Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked if he was "tempted" to cover the field.

He certainly didn't sound like a man conflicted.

"I've told you before, my job is not to pull weeds," Belichick said, conjuring up the somewhat absurd image of him in floppy hat, suspenders and work gloves. "Or rake the field, or whatever. I'm sure that will all be taken care of."

For the Patriots, home-field advantage doesn't just mean the crowd is on your side and you get to dress in your own locker room. It means you get to set the track the way you want. Within reason.

The Patriots are prone to pushing the envelope. Last year, the NFL made them renovate the field before the AFC Championship game against the Colts after it got chewed up in the Divisional Playoff game and in a succession of games played during the year in inclement weather.

This year, an already chewed-up field turned into a quagmire when the Pats played Baltimore in a rainstorm. The team renovated the field, re-sodding between the numbers, but it's still in poor shape.

A shaggy, slow field will make it harder for the Colts' precision offense to execute as well as they do in their indoor stadium. The Patriots, of course, face the same conditions, but their players are more accustomed to playing in poor conditions and generally seem unfazed by such details.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning maintains his team isn't bothered, either.

"People make a big deal out of (playing in poor weather)," he said. "That's something we don't talk about. It just depends who's playing best on that Sunday. Whoever plays best usually wins. One thing about New England is they are extremely tough at their place. They always play well there and they haven't lost in a long time. They truly know how to defend their home turf."

Faulk willing, but not able

Running back Kevin Faulk, who injured the medial collateral ligament in his left knee during preseason and missed 43 days of action said yesterday that the injury he has now is the "same thing, opposite side."

If Faulk were to come back and play Sunday against the Colts (he's listed as questionable) he'd be doing so just 26 days after he hurt the knee in Miami. The severity of the sprains may be different, however.

Faulk said he's working to rehab the knee but understands that the team's prime focus is on who will help them the most.

"When you come to work it's not about you anymore," he said. "It's about team and you have to put team first. As a competitor, you want to be out there. It doesn't matter what's going on. If you have a broken arm, you want to get out there, but sometimes they can't let it happen. You have to do what's best."

Meanwhile, the rest of the Pats' injury report is short. Defensive end Richard Seymour is questionable with his injured knee, linebacker Matt Chatham (whose presence has been missed on special teams all season) is questionable with a hamstring and reserve Eric Alexander is questionable with an injured ankle.

As for the Colts, the worst news they're dealing with is the knee of defensive end Robert Mathis. The pass-rush specialist (10.5 sacks) is doubtful for Sunday. The rest of the Colts' defense is nicked up as well. Linebacker Gilbert Gardner and defensive tackle Josh Williams are questionable with shoulder injuries and defensive backs Jason David, Nick Harper and Bob Sanders are all probable with assorted maladies. Each of their starting linebackers -- Rob Morris, Cato June and David Thornton -- have injuries but are regarded as probable.

Dungy has officials' ears

Colts coach Tony Dungy was on the line to NFL director of officials Mike Pereira before this year's playoffs to make sure the emphasis on defenders keeping their hands off of receivers was going to carry into the playoffs.

"I did call Mike and ask him that and I asked the officiating crew (before last week's game against Denver)," Dungy acknowledged yesterday. "(I asked) "Are we calling the game like we called the first 16?' and they said, 'Yeah,' so you have to take them at their word."

The Colts' offense is built on timing and precision and they were one of the clubs that appealed to the league after last season to have officials call the game as the rules are written. Their passing attack set records in 2004.

Some people point to last year's AFC Championship as the game that brought about stricter enforcement as the Pats popped the Colts all over the field and were physical far beyond the 5-yard limit. In the waning moments, Colts president Bill Polian pounded the desk in front of him on several plays and cursed at the officials to throw flags against the Pats.

But Dungy insisted the Patriots weren't the worst culprits.

"We never felt (their aggressiveness) was the reason we didn't win the game up there," said Dungy. "I did feel the whole playoffs were officiated loosely, not only in the secondary, but in other areas, and my question going in is, 'Is it going to be like overtime in hockey or will it be like NFL football?' And hopefully it'll be officiated like NFL football. But if it's officiated like overtime in hockey we've got to adjust and be ready for it."

Squib kicks

Asked yesterday if he planned to use Troy Brown in the secondary on Sunday, Belichick said, We'll go out there and play with what we've got. The draft's over." . . . Manning wasn't interested in discussing comments made by kicker Mike Vanderjagt earlier this week, "I don't have a whole lot of comment on that. Coach Dungy and I have both expressed the respect we have for the Patriots. We have no room to talk. They have dominated us for the past number of years. They're world champions. We have an opportunity, that's all we have. We know how tough it is playing at their place. The respect I have is well documented." . . . The Colts didn't practice outside their domed stadium yesterday, but they did open the doors to let some of the cold air in.