Manning Shakes Playoff Monkey, Dominates Broncos

Two weeks ago, the Denver Broncos rushing attack shredded the Indianapolis Colts defense for 227 yards, and they controlled the game so effectively that they held the ball for nearly 45 minutes, compared to just 15 minutes for the Colts. The Broncos prevailed in that contest 31-17, and hoped to come out the same way against the Colts Sunday evening in their Wild-Card match-up, but Peyton Manning and the Colts were having none of it.

Manning had a career day, completing 22-of-26 passes for 377 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions, and firmly shook the playoff monkey off his back with a 41-10 victory.

Manning got the Colts on the scoreboard quickly, engineering a six-play, 70 yard drive that included two runs and three receptions by running back Edgerrin James. Manning capped off the drive with a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokely

Denver offered a whimper of hope when they answered with an eight minute, 12-play drive that resulted in a 49-yard Jason Elam field goal, but Manning marched the Colts down the field on an 81-yard drive of his own.

The Broncos’ performance in the contest was epitomized by the eighth play of the drive, when Manning hooked up with wide receiver Marvin Harrison on a 46-yard play for the first of his two touchdown receptions on the day. Harrison made the catch as he fell at the Denver 30-yard line, and as two defenders argued over who blew the coverage, the untouched wideout got to his feet and raced into the end zone.

After Denver failed to advance the ball on the ensuing possession, the Colts again put together a long drive that resulted in a 23-yard touchdown by the Manning-Harrison combination. Before the half was over, the Colts scored again with an 87-yard Manning strike to Stokely and a 27-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt. As time ran out in the first half, Denver found themselves on the short end of a 31-3 score.

On the Colts opening drive of the second half, Manning threw his fifth touchdown in six possessions, this one a seven-yard pass to wide receiver Reggie Wayne.

Indianapolis so thoroughly dominated this contest offensively that they scored on every possession until James fumbled with 1:38 remaining in the game. The Colts were not forced to punt the football a single time during the entire game.

This was the first home playoff win for the Colts since moving to Indianapolis.

With the victory, the Colts advance to play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs.