FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady-Peyton Manning Round XVI is done. Or is it Round I 2014?

However you want to look at it, the Brady-led New England Patriots dominated the Manning-led Denver Broncos 43-21 at Gillette Stadium Sunday night. Brady now leads the rivalry 11-5.

And while some national media types tried to hype up a possible meeting between the two later in the season – say January in the playoffs or AFC championship game – the Patriots weren’t biting.

When Bill Belichick was asked if there was a good chance the teams would meet later, he said, “Right now I think there’s a good chance we’re going to see Indianapolis (in the Patriots’ next game after their bye week).”

And when Brady was asked about the rivalry, he said, “It’s just a topic for people to talk about. I’ve been lucky enough to play here. He’s had an incredible career.

“(Manning has) always set a really high bar for how to play. I’ve tried to do the same thing through my efforts with my team. You know, the only thing I really care about is the respect of my teammates and trying to go out there every day and earn it.”

THE PATRIOTS say they always try to prepare for every game the same, but they sure seem to pay particular attention to detail in preparing for their game before the bye week.

The Patriots have next week off, and Sunday’s win was their sixth in a row before the bye week. Only one of those games has been close.

New England beat Pittsburgh 55-31 last year before the bye; St. Louis 45-7 in 2012; Dallas 20-16 in 2011; Miami 41-14 in 2010; Tampa Bay 35-7 in 2009.

Asked about that trend, Julian Edelman had a simple answer: “Because we don’t want to come in here and lose a game and have to practice five days during a bye week.”

Essentially, he added, you don’t want to have the taste of a loss for two weeks. “So you sell out and prepare to the fullest of your ability and try to do all the little things, because it makes the bye week that much better,” he said.

BRADY CONTINUES to move up the NFL’s passing charts.

On Sunday he passed for 333 yards, giving him 62 career games in which he has thrown for over 300 yards – tying Brett Favre for fourth all-time. He four touchdown passes for the 22nd time, giving him sole possession of fourth on the all-time list, one behind Favre.

He also passed John Elway in career passing yardage, moving into fifth place with 51,541.

Brady became the eighth quarterback to start 200 regular-season games and has the most wins in those 200 games (155).

FORMER PATRIOT center Damian Woody had the tweet of the night. After Edelman returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown, he tweeted: “Foxborough …. where dreams go to die.”

THE PATRIOTS continued to honor past members of their Super Bowl championship teams.

On Sunday they honored 17 of the 22 players who won three Super Bowl titles – Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXIX. The five who did not attend are either coaching (Mike Vrabel, Larry Izzo in the NFL and Adrian Klemm in college) or still playing (Brady and Adam Vinatieri – who has a game Monday night).

The 17 who attended – and as was the custom of those teams, they were introduced as a team – were Richard Seymour, Kevin Faulk, Willie McGinest, Troy Brown, Ty Law, Matt Light, Tedy Bruschi, Stephen Neal, Patrick Pass, Je’rod Cherry, David Patten, Lonie Paxton, Roman Phifer, Joe Andruzzi, Tom Ashworth, Matt Chatham and Ted Johnson.

“Every year over 2,000 players try to win the Super Bowl,” said owner Robert Kraft. “Only 53 succeed … And only 22 men, represented by these players right here, have ever won three Super Bowls in four years.”

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