New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick may have parted ways with Adam Vinatieri in 2006, but he didn't hesitate to praise his talent before his team's upcoming game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Patriots will play the Colts this Thursday, meaning Belichick will face the kicker that helped his team win three Super Bowls. Vinatieri has been in Indianapolis for over a decade, but New England will never forget what he means to their franchise.

Belichick recounted a legendary kick Vinatieri made in the “Snow Bowl” (AKA the “Tuck Rule Game”) against the Oakland Raiders 16 years ago on a conference call earlier this week. Belichick ranks the field goal number one on his all-time list.

“I would say it was by far the greatest kick I have ever seen,” Belichick said per Mike Florio of NBC Sports. “The conditions were very difficult. There were probably three to four inches of snow on the ground. It was a soft snow that kind of didn’t go away. I mean, there was no way to get around it. The magnitude of the kick was significant. It’s got to be the greatest kick of all time, certainly that I’ve seen.”

Adam Vinatieri is in his 23rd NFL season. After booting two field goals through the uprights last week, he surpassed Morten Andersen to claim the top spot on the NFL's all-time field goal list. He's made a record 567 of them, two above Andersen's mark. Vinatieri will only continue to widen the game as the season progresses.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots gave Vinatieri his first shot in the NFL back in 1996. Now, he hopes to help his Colts secure victory against the team that helped make him a legend. Both parties have tremendous respect for one another, but Thursday will be about making a mark in the win column.