Another Friday and another day of Patriots potpourri.

Coach Bill Belichick reserves Fridays to concentrate on ‘Red Area’ situations, both offensively and defensively. Note to self, never call it Red Zone since that could be confused with a type of coverage. Belichick always thinks of these things.

“Red area day here with the Colts,” Belichick said. “As usual they’re the best in the league. That will be big this week.”

And Bill doesn’t lie. The Colts are tied with Detroit for the best TD conversion rate inside the opponents 20-yard-line. Indy has had the ball 20 times inside the 20 and scored touchdowns 15 times, for a 75 percent rate. Overall, the Colts have scored 18 of the 20 times in the ‘Red Area.’ So for all the supposed struggles of the Indy offense, they still are deadly inside the 20, and Belichick will be sure to remind his team of that all the way up until kickoff on Sunday night.

Defensively, even without run-stopper Bob Sanders, who returns this Sunday night, Indianapolis can stop you inside the 20. Opponents have been inside their 20 yard line 24 times and come away with only 10 TDs, the seventh-best stoppage rate in the league.

Remembering Jimmy Hoffa… Bill Belichick has heard all the wild rumors about what’s (or more to the point, who is) buried in a certain corner of Giants Stadium. Will he ask for anything from Giants Stadium when it shuts down after the 2009 season?

Still in the picture since disappearing in 1975.

“No, I don’t think so,” Belichick said. “They will still be digging through looking for Jimmy Hoffa’s body.”

The subject of what he might ask for from Giants Stadium came up Friday when Belichick was asked to recall moments from the old RCA Dome, the home of many memorable Pats-Colts showdowns, including the 2006 AFC Championship game (bad) and last year’s 24-20 come-from-behind win (good).

“Probably not too much,” Belichick said. “All of the combines, it is an annual NFL convention and all of the college players and everything, there have been some interesting moments there – Deion Sanders running a 40 straight off into the tunnel and stuff like that. It is always a little bit of mixed feelings when you see these stadiums that had so many great moments in them, both ways, go. RFK [Stadium], The RCA Dome, now it is going to be Giants Stadium and even Foxboro [Stadium]. They all had their certain moments that were special. We are onto another age… Mile High [Stadium] – We are all moving on.”

Greatest Pats-Colts games in RCA Dome history.

1. Colts 38, Patriots 34, Jan. 2007. Colts come from 21-6 down at half to stun the Pats in the AFC title game.

2. Patriots 24, Colts 20, Nov. 2007. Kevin Faulk’s dive at the goal line caps comeback from 20-10 down in the fourth.

3. Patriots 38, Colts 35, Dec. 2003. Willie McGinest stops Edgerrin James on fourth and goal to seal win.

My Old School… You would think No. 7 Texas Tech is the top-ranked team in college football heading into a showdown with No. 1 Texas this weekend at Texas Tech, at least the way Patriots WR Wes Welker (Tech ’04) explains it.

“I’m definitely trying to squeeze something out of him but he’s scared,” Welker bragged on Friday morning. “A night game in Lubbock, Texas… I like my chances.”

So, in honor of Welker’s unabashed confidence, we’d like to take you back to his glory days in Lubbock when the Red Raiders won a shootout over the aforementioned Longhorns of David Thomas (UT ’06).

“>

This being the election season, in the interest of equal time, here’s Vince Young connecting with Thomas when the two were on a championship team in Texas back in 2005.

“>

As will be the case on Tuesday, may the best man win.