In the Colts first two playoff contests, quarterback Peyton Manning sat back in the pocket and picked apart the defenses of the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs to the tune of 681 yards and 79 points. But in the AFC Championship game Sunday, New England executed a game plan that put the NFL’s hottest player on ice and capitalized on some early turnovers to spark a 24-14 victory in the AFC Championship game.
The cold, snowy conditions were far from ideal for a team that plays its home games in a dome, but it wasn’t the weather that had a grip on the Colts passing attack. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick used an attacking defense to force Manning out of the pocket, and out of his comfort zone. Despite having thrown eight touchdown passes and no interceptions in his first two playoff games, Manning threw just one scoring pass while being picked off four times… including three times by cornerback Ty Law, who did a tremendous job of shutting down wide receiver Marvin Harrison.
New England put the pressure on the Colts early, marching 65 yards in 13 plays on the game’s opening drive, taking a 7-0 lead on a seven-yard pass from quarterback Tom Brady to a wide open David Givens.
The Colts offense looked like it would pick up where it left off as they quickly drove to the Patriots five-yard line, but the drive ended on the first of Manning’s interceptions when safety Rodney Harrison stepped in front of a pass intended for tight end Marcus Pollard.
After another long drive by the Pats, kicker Adam Vinatieri connected on a 31-yard field goal attempt, giving New England a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.
On the first play of the Colts' next drive, Manning was picked off by Law at the Colts 41-yard line, which helped set up another Vinatieri field goal… this time from 25 yards out.
Much of the interest heading into this game focused on the fact that the Colts Hunter Smith had yet to punt in the first two playoff games, but when Indy was finally forced into a punting situation, the results were disastrous. On a fourth-and-ten from the Colts 35, Justin Snow snapped the ball over Hunter’s head, forcing the punter to kick the ball through his own end zone for a safety.
The Colts finally caught a break late in the first half when David Macklin recovered a Bethel Johnson fumble at the Patriots 41-yard line, and appeared to be on their way toward captalizing. But on a seven-yard pass to Marvin Harrison at the New England 14, Rodney Harrison knocked the ball loose and Tyrone Poole fell on it for the Pats.
After being shut out in the first half, Indianapolis took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove for a touchdown behind the strong running of Edgerrin James, which included a two-yard scoring run that made the score 15-7 in favor of the Patriots.
Two more Vinatieri field goals sandwiched around Hunter’s first post-season punt stretched New England’s lead to 21-7.
The teams traded interceptions to start the fourth quarter, and the Pats were forced into a three-and-out on their following possession before Manning began to heat up.
Going seven-of-nine on the ensuing drive, the league’s co-MVP brought the Colts back to within striking distance on a seven-yard touchdown strike to Pollard with 2:27 remaining. The extra point pulled Indianapolis to within a touchdown, and their defense forced the Patriots to punt after running just 26 seconds off the clock.
The Colts actually got two more shots at the Patriots, but both drives went nowhere and the ball was turned over on downs each time.
Vinatieri sealed the Patriots win with a 34-yard field goal with just under one minute remaining.
The Patriots victory in the AFC Championship game advances them to Super Bowl XXVIII in Houston on Febuary 1 where they will meet the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers.
