Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is surrounded by photographers while leaving the field after the Patriots’ 20-3 triumph in an AFC divisional playoff game at Foxboro in January 2005.

Providence Journal / Mary Murphy

Past is prologue.

So Shakespeare said.

Since the AFC Championship Game rates as high drama, let us look back at past games between the Patriots and Colts during the era of Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning to see if they provide any indication of how tonight’s contest will turn out:

Sept. 30, 2001

Foxboro Stadium

Patriots 44, Colts 13

In what was Brady’s first NFL start, the Pats came in 0-2, having scored a total of 20 points, while the Colts were 2-0 and averaging 43.5 points a game. But Manning had two interceptions returned for touchdowns, while Brady, despite his inexperience, had no turnovers as the Pats rushed for 177 yards on the way to opening up a 23-0 lead.

“I thought Tom did a real solid job for the first time out,” Belichick said.

“It was awful,” Manning said, in assessing his own performance.

Talk about portents of things to come . . .

Oct. 21, 2001

RCA Dome

Patriots 38, Colts 17

In an example of Charlie Weis’ play-calling at its creative best, David Patten became the first NFL player since Walter Payton in 1979 to run for a touchdown, throw for a touchdown, and also catch a touchdown pass in the same game. The TD pass was a 91-yard bomb from Brady. Patten threw a 60-yard TD pass to Troy Brown, after first catching a quick toss from Brady just behind the line of scrimmage. He also scored on a 29-yard reverse on the Patriots’ first play from scrimmage.

“We wanted to liven things up a bit,” Brown said.

Brady finished with 16 completions in 20 attempts, 3 for TDs.

Nov. 30, 2003

RCA Dome

Patriots 38, Colts 34

Bethel Johnson returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the first half, then had a 67-yard return to set up the Patriots’ last TD. After leading comfortably, 31-10, midway through the third quarter, the Patriots wound up hanging on to win when Willie McGinest tackled Edgerrin James on fourth down at the N.E. 1.

“It all came down to the last play, of the last drive, of the last quarter,” Belichick said.

Brady, after completing his first 12 passes, and 16 of 18 in the first half, threw two interceptions in the second half that led to Indianapolis touchdowns. Manning threw for four TDs, three of them in the second half.

Jan. 18, 2004

Gillette Stadium

Patriots 24, Colts 14

The Patriots won their second AFC championship in three years, and their 14th consecutive game, by beating the Colts. In a particularly significant statistic, Pats cornerback Ty Law intercepted three passes, which he returned for 26 yards, while the Colts’ all-pro wide receiver, Marvin Harrison, had just three catches, for only 19 yards.

The Colts came in on a roll, having demolished Denver, 41-10, and beaten the Chiefs in Kansas City, 38-31, as Manning threw for eight TDs, without an interception. But he was intercepted four times by the Patriots, remaining winless in Foxboro.

Sept. 9, 2004

Gillette Stadium

Patriots 27, Colts 24

Mike Vanderjagt hadn’t missed a kick in the entire 2003 season, converting all 37 of his field-goal attempts. When he hit a 32-yarder early in the second quarter, it was an NFL-record, 42nd straight without a miss. But that streak came to an end in the fourth quarter, when he pushed a 48-yard attempt wide right.

It was a night of narrow escapes in the season opener for the Patriots, as linebacker Tedy Bruschi intercepted a Manning pass at the N.E. 1 on the Colts’ opening drive and, late in the fourth quarter, rookie Vince Wilfork recovered a fumble by James, also at the N.E. 1.

Brady got his season off to a good start by throwing for 335 yards and 3 TDs.

Jan. 16, 2005

Gillette Stadium

Patriots 20, Colts 3

For the second straight year, the Patriots knocked the Colts out of the playoffs. Indianapolis had led the league in scoring, averaging 32.6 points per game, and Manning had set an NFL record by passing for 49 touchdowns. He threw for four more in Indy’s opening-round, 49-24 rout of Denver. But he once again looked confused and frustrated against New England’s defense.

“For our defense to hold those guys to three points — what an unbelievable effort,” Brady said.

Manning might also have found it hard to believe if not for the fact that the Patriots had done it to him so many times before.

Nov. 7, 2005

Gillette Stadium

Colts 40, Patriots 21

The Colts finally won — and won big — in Foxboro. Operating against a defense minus injured starters Rodney Harrison and Richard Seymour, Manning picked up his first victory in seven trips to New England as the Colts snapped a nine-game losing streak in Foxboro that dated back to 1995. Brady threw for 3 TDs, without an interception, but it was nowhere near enough.

Nov. 5, 2006

Gillette Stadium

Colts 27, Patriots 20

The Colts proved New England no longer was their nemesis by beating the Patriots for the second year in a row on the road. Manning threw for two touchdowns, completing 20 of 36 passes for 326 yards, with one interception, while Brady was intercepted four times and failed to throw for a touchdown. Perhaps even more surprising than Brady’s struggles was that Adam Vinatieri, hero of the Patriots’ Super Bowl victories over St. Louis and Carolina, missed two field-goal attempts in his return to New England, after making his first 14 as an Indianapolis Colt.

“That was a tough night, all the way around,” Brady said. “Obviously, we need to play a lot better than that.”

Obviously, the Patriots will need to play a lot better tonight against the Colts in Indianapolis than they did in November in Foxboro if they hope to make it to their fourth Super Bowl in six years.

jdonalds@projo.com