Colts exorcise their demons
INDIANAPOLIS – The demons can relocate to some other team’s locker room. Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy are Super Bowl material now.
Manning led the Colts from 18 points down in the second quarter, and on a game-winning 80-yard drive late in the fourth, for a wildly entertaining 38-34 victory Sunday over the New England Patriots in the AFC title game.
He took Dungy along for the ride, helping his coach finally get to the big game and make some history along the way. In two weeks, Dungy will join Chicago’s Lovie Smith in the Super Bowl, where together they will be the first black head coaches to meet in the NFL’s biggest game.
The Colts are the early favorites to beat the NFC champion Bears in the Super Bowl, by a touchdown.
Sunday’s game was a show for the ages, and Manning was the star. He threw for 349 yards and one touchdown and brought his team back from a 21-3 deficit, the biggest comeback in conference title-game history.
The Patriots (14-5) lost in the championship game for the first time in six tries and saw their hopes of four Super Bowls in six years derailed by Manning and Co.
Joseph Addai capped Manning’s late drive with the winning score, a 3-yard run with 1 minute left to help the Colts (15-4) complete the rally.
After the final score, Manning was on the sideline, his head down, unable to watch. Brady threw an interception to Marlin Jackson and the RCA Dome crowd went wild. One kneel down later and Manning ripped off his helmet to celebrate.
It was anything but a by-the-book game, and that started becoming obvious when New England left guard Logan Mankins opened the scoring by pouncing on a fumbled handoff between Brady and Laurence Maroney that squirted into the Indy end zone in the first quarter.
It got worse from there for Manning, who telegraphed a throw to the sideline that Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel snatched and took 39 yards into the end zone for a 21-3 lead.
He then led the Colts on an 80-yard drive late in the first half for a field goal to make it 21-6. In the third quarter, he was at his cruel best, dissecting an exhausted Patriots defense for a pair of long drives and scores.
The first came on a 1-yard quarterback sneak. The second was capped by a 1-yard pass to Dan Klecko, a defensive tackle who came in as a supposed decoy at the goal line. A circus catch by Marvin Harrison for the 2-point conversion tied the game at 21.
“I’m so proud of the way our guys fought,” Dungy said. “I’m very happy for Peyton.”
After Indy’s tying score, the Patriots answered with an 80-yard kickoff return by Ellis Hobbs, which set up a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Jabar Gaffney.
Manning came right back but his handoff to Dominic Rhodes misfired. The ball scooted forward and center Jeff Saturday fell on it to tie the score at 28.
The teams traded field goals, and Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski put New England ahead 34-31 on a 43-yarder with 3:49 left.
After a touchback, it was time for Manning’s drive: 11 yards to Reggie Wayne, 32 yards to Bryan Fletcher, a scary completion to Wayne, who nearly lost the ball but snatched it back.
A roughing-the-passer call gave Indy the ball at the 11, then Manning handed off three straight times to Addai for the last 11 yards.
Colts 38, Patriots 34
| New England | 7 | 14 | 7 | 6 | — | 34 |
| Indianapolis | 3 | 3 | 15 | 17 | — | 38 |
NE—Mankins fumble recovery in end zone (Gostkowski kick)
Ind—FG Vinatieri 42
NE—Dillon 7 run (Gostkowski kick)
NE—Samuel 39 interception return (Gostkowski kick)
Ind—FG Vinatieri 26
Ind—Manning 1 run (Vinatieri kick)
Ind—Klecko 1 pass from Manning (M.Harrison pass from Manning)
NE—Gaffney 6 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)
Ind—Saturday fumble recovery in end zone (Vinatieri kick)
NE—FG Gostkowski 28
Ind—FG Vinatieri 36
NE—FG Gostkowski 43
Ind—Addai 3 run (Vinatieri kick)
A—57,433.
| NE | Ind | |
| First downs | 17 | 32 |
| Total Net Yards | 319 | 455 |
| Rushes-yards | 24-93 | 30-125 |
| Passing | 226 | 330 |
| Punt Returns | 3-39 | 3-40 |
| Kickoff Returns | 8-231 | 5-92 |
| Interceptions Ret. | 1-39 | 1-6 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 21-34-1 | 27-47-1 |
| Sacked-Yards Lost | 1-6 | 3-19 |
| Punts | 5-51.4 | 4-52.8 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-0 | 2-0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 8-63 | 4-32 |
| Time of Possession | 28:45 | 31:15 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—New England, Dillon 7-48, Faulk 4-27, Maroney 8-13, Evans 1-4, Brady 4-1. Indianapolis, Rhodes 14-69, Addai 14-56, Manning 2-0.
PASSING—New England, Brady 21-34-1-232. Indianapolis, Manning 27-47-1-349.
RECEIVING—New England, Watson 5-48, Caldwell 4-46, Evans 4-33, Gaffney 3-37, Brown 2-32, Graham 1-25, Maroney 1-6, Faulk 1-5. Indianapolis, Clark 6-137, Wayne 5-68, M.Harrison 4-41, Rhodes 4-38, Moorehead 3-23, Addai 2-4, Fletcher 1-32, Utecht 1-5, Klecko 1-1.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—None.