When the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts meet in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday in Foxborough, Mass., there will be few surprises.

The teams met in a divisional playoff game last January, a 43-22 New England home win, and again Nov. 16 in Indianapolis, a 42-20 Patriots victory.

“You’ve got everything on tape, so you practice and prepare for all the different personnel groups that you’re going to see, the tempos that you’re going to see, the run game that you’ve seen on tape, the pass game, the pass concepts, protections that they’ve used, and then you’ve got to adjust,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said Thursday. “We’ve got to do a great job of that in all three phases.”

The adjustments from the Week 11 game could be a key in Sunday’s rematch. In the November matchup, New England rushed for 257 yards, with running back Jonas Gray producing 201 yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries.

Gray barely figured in the team’s plans in the subsequent weeks.

Colts defensive coordinator Greg Manusky acknowledged that the Patriots could go in a completely different direction Sunday.

“Well, I think we’ve got to prepare for everything,” Manusky said. “Across the board, we’ve got to prepare for their empty package. We’ve got to prepare for big people, heavy people. That’s what we do each and every week.

“Even though they’ve got glimpses of this personnel and that personnel from week to week, you’ve just got to go with the plan that you think they’re going to try to attack you with, and then make sure it’s the right one when you get in the game.”

Although his team topped 40 points against the Colts in the previous two meetings, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady expects a tough battle from the Indianapolis defense.

“They’ve done a number on a lot of teams this year,” Brady said. “They’ve got a good rush. They’ve got a couple good edge guys, really athletic linebackers, and one of their corners is in the Pro Bowl, two experienced players in the secondary.

“(Safety) Mike Adams had a great game against us last time, and (cornerback Greg) Toler has had a great year, really an underrated player in my estimation. He does a great job. So, they challenge you at all levels. I think that’s the important thing: Nothing is easy.”

If New England might be expected to run less, Indianapolis figures to run more — or at least the Colts hope to run more effectively. They managed just 19 yards on 16 carries on Nov. 16.

“I think one of the main things we always talk about for our team is: As a team, you don’t stay the same; you either get better or you get worse,” Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty said. “I think for them, they’ve continued to work on the different things. … I feel like they are throwing more check-downs now, getting the ball in (Colts running back Dan) Herron’s hands and he’s making plays with the ball in his hands.

“I think they are just doing a better job of whatever they’re choosing to do game-plan-wise. I think it’s sort of like us. At different times in the season, we talk about getting better, which doesn’t always mean doing a bunch of new things and having a totally new game plan, but it’s just executing better.”

The Patriots also must prepare to limit Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s play-making ability both in the pocket and as a scrambler.

“Andrew Luck is a phenomenal player,” Patriots defensive end Chandler Jones said. “He’s a great player, and he’s had some postseason success. For me just being a fan of the game, I’ve watched him, and even from studying him, he has a strong arm, he can run the ball, and he’s strong. As far as running the ball, he’s strong. It’s just our job as a defense and as pass rushers, (including) myself, just to try to contain him and give him hell.”