Darron Cummings / AP

Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt, right, celebrates with hold Hunter Smith after a field goal in the second half of Indianapolis' 49-24 victory over the Broncos on Sunday.

Mike Vanderjagt has spoken his mind before. This time, he appears to have caught the New England Patriots' attention.

The Indianapolis Colts kicker started a war of words with the Patriots entering the week of their AFC second-round playoff game Sunday.

"I think they're not as good as the beginning of the year, not as good as last year. And I think they're beatable,'' Vanderjagt said about the Patriots on an Indianapolis TV station Sunday, the Boston Herald reported. "We have to play well. There's no question about that. But I think we're going to come back Sunday night going to the AFC title game."

According to the Herald, he added: "I think they're ripe for the picking."

Patriots players were calm when they responded, the newspaper reported.

"That's great for Vanderjagt," New England linebacker Willie McGinest said, the Herald reported. "Hopefully, he makes it the next time (an apparent reference to when Vanderjagt missed a game-tying field goal against the Patriots in Week 1).

"We don't really care about the guarantees and the stuff they're saying. They have a right to be confident. They're playing really good ball. We have all the respect for them in the world. It's going to be a dogfight."

Another Patriots linebacker, Tedy Bruschi, laughed off the comments.

"You're asking me to comment on what a kicker said?" Bruschi said. "It doesn't really concern me. OK?"

Vanderjagt is perhaps best known for criticizing Peyton Manning, which sparked Manning's memorable reply during the 2003 Pro Bowl: "Here we are, I’m out at my third Pro Bowl, I’m about to go in and throw a touchdown to Jerry Rice, we’re honoring the Hall of Fame, and we’re talking about our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off."

The Patriots might agree.

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