It’s been a down-and-out pattern for Peyton Manning and the Colts this season.

AP / Bill Waugh

It’s no secret that there’s no love lost between the Patriots and Colts. From the way Indianapolis GM Bill Polian constantly refers to the New England team as the “Patri-aughts” to the belief that the Colts pumped up both the heat and the crowd noise inside the RCA Dome, to the on-field battles the teams have had this decade, there’s no shortage of story lines.

Add another one to the pile.

During his conference call yesterday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick seemed to call out the Colts for manipulating the injury report with regards to quarterback Peyton Manning.

As the Colts enter Sunday’s game with a 3-4 mark, the first time under coach Tony Dungy they’ve been below .500 heading into November, Manning’s numbers also are down. It is in part because of injuries to several offensive linemen, and also because Manning underwent two knee surgeries, the second just four weeks before opening day to clear out a staph infection. He missed all of training camp, and is just now working his way into playing shape.

Asked yesterday about Manning, Belichick called him a “great player” who “has done it all and continues to do it.”

The question that followed was about this being the fifth time in recent years the Colts and Pats have faced off in November. The rivalry has been a boon to television ratings, and not coincidentally, November is sweeps month, when networks set commercial rates based on ratings figures.

Belichick gave his stock answer whenever a scheduling question comes up: that he and his team don’t concern themselves with such things, they just play the games as they come.

Then he paused.

“Let me just go back to Manning for a second,” Belichick said. “If I’m not mistaken, he hasn’t shown up on the injury report all year, but maybe one day at the beginning of the season. I’m not really sure what injuries you’re talking about, but he hasn’t been listed on the injury report all year.”

Manning didn’t begin practicing until Aug. 26, a little more than a week before Indianapolis’ season opener. He was listed as probable for the opener against Chicago and has not been in the Colts’ report since.

In response to Belichick’s assertion that he doesn’t know what injuries Manning might have because of his absence from the injury report, a questioner replied that Manning wasn’t ready to go until the start of the regular season.

“He looked pretty good to me,” Belichick said. “I don’t think he’s injured. He hasn’t been on the injury report, so I am assuming he’s not hurt.”

New England has taken heat in recent years for its alleged manipulation of the injury report, and Belichick knows his team isn’t the only one that might fudge things a bit. Polian is a member of the league’s influential Competition Committee.

With Tom Brady out and the Colts struggling, it seemed like this week’s game was going to be pretty tame. Maybe not.

smanza@projo.com