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| Defense puts Pats back in AFC title game
FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) - The New England Patriots kept the ball away from Peyton Manning most of the game and shut him down when he had it. Sound familiar? For the second year in a row, the Pats made the league's MVP look ordinary and his Indianapolis teammates inept, this time beating them 20-3 Sunday behind Corey Dillon's 144 yards rushing. "I think our defense is what made this game successful," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "Three points to one of the best offenses in the history of football is incredible." Manning's quarterbacking brilliance was neutralized as usual by Bill Belichick's punishing defense and the Colts' Super Bowl aspirations ended yet again on this snowy New England field. Manning is now 0-7 in Foxboro. Brady is 7-0 in the postseason. For the defending champions, one more win in Pittsburgh and it's on to Jacksonville, Fla., for their third Super Bowl trip in four years. Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest and coach Bill Belichick's defense spent the day frustrating Manning, who was 27-for-42 for 238 yards. In a stunning failure for the NFL's most prolific passing attack, the Colts managed only a field goal. "It was just the best game plan that we've had since I've been here," Patriots safety Rodney Harrison said. The conditions were just right for the Patriots' strategy: run the ball, throw short passes and watch the clock tick down, putting together their three most time-consuming drives of the season. The cold temperatures couldn't have helped Indianapolis, which plays home games in the 72-degree warmth of the RCA Dome. Last year in Foxboro, Manning threw four interceptions in a 24-14 AFC title game loss. "I don't have a clue," said Edgerrin James, held to 39 yards rushing by the Patriots. "I really don't know what happened out there. I was just trying to do what I can do." Dillon keyed a ball-control offense that kept Manning on the sideline, while Brady threw for one touchdown, ran for another and completed 18 passes in 27 attempts for 144 yards. "I'm not even recognizing my last seven seasons right now," said Dillon, who spent them with Cincinnati. "It's all about this year." New England (15-2) led 6-0 on Adam Vinatieri's field goals of 24 and 31 yards in the second quarter with the first one capping a 16-play, 78-yard march that lasted 9 minutes, 7 seconds. Indianapolis (13-5) scored on Mike Vanderjagt's 23-yard field goal on the last play of the first half. "We just ran into a better team today," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "That's one thing about them. They find a way to win. We felt pretty good sitting 6-3 at the half." When Brady threw a 5-yard scoring pass to David Givens to cap a third-quarter drive that lasted 8:16, Manning had to make his remaining possessions count against the hard-hitting defense. He didn't - and Brady followed with a 94-yard drive that ended with his 1-yard touchdown run. Facing a 20-3 deficit with 7:10 left, even Manning couldn't do much. The Patriots proved once again they could win without their best defenders. Pro Bowl defensive lineman Richard Seymour was sidelined with a knee injury, and starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole are on injured reserve. But the Patriots' defense still stifled the fifth-highest scoring team in NFL history. The season ended for the Colts right where it started. They lost the opener in Foxboro 27-24 when Vanderjagt missed a 48-yard field goal attempt in the final minute. |
| AFC Championship Game 1 2 3 4 F Indianpolis 0 3 0 0 3 New England 0 6 7 7 20 SCORING SUMMARY 2nd Quarter Patriots - Adam Vinatieri 24 Yard Field Goal - Patriots 3 Colts 0 (16 plays-78 yards 9:07) Patriots - Adam Vinatieri 31 Yard Field Goal - Patriots 6 Colts 0 (6 Plays-48 yards 1:26) Colts - Mike Vanderjagt 23 Yard Field Goal - Patriots 6 Colts 3 (11 plays-67 yards 1:52) 3rd Quarter Patriots - David Givens 5 Yard TD Pass from Tom Brady (Adam Vinatieri Extra Point) - Patriots 13 Colts 3 (15 plays-87 yards 8:16) 4th Quarter Patriots - Tom Brady 1 Yard TD Run (Adam Vinatieri Extra Point) Patriots 20 Colts 3 (14 plays-94 yards 7:24) |
| Team Statistics Colts Patriots
First downs 18 21 Rushing 0 11 Passing 17 9 Penalty 1 1 3rd-Down Efficiency 6-12 8-15 4th-Down Efficiency 0-0 0-0 Total Net Yards 276 325 Total Plays 58 69 Average Gains 4.8 4.7 Net Yards Rushing 46 210 Rushes 15 39 Average Per Rush 3.1 5.4 Net Yards Passing 230 115 Completed-Attempted 27-42 18-27 Yards Per Pass 5.3 3.8 Sacked-Yards Lost 1-8 3-29 Had Intercepted 1 0 Punts-Average 6-40.7 5-39.0 Return Yardage 0 37 Punts-Returns 0-0 2-28 Kickoffs-Returns 4-58 1-15 Interceptions-Returns 0-0 1-9 Penalties-Yards 4-44 5-35 Fumbles-Lost 3-2 0-0 Time Of Possession 22:17 37:43 |
| PASSING
Colts P. Manning 27-42 238 yards 0 TDs 1 INT Patriots T. Brady 18-27 144 yards 1 TD 0 INTs RUSHING Colts E. James 14-39, P. Manning 1-7 Patriots C. Dillon 23-144, K. Faulk 11-56, T. Brady 4-6-1 TD, D. Branch 1-4 RECEIVING Colts B. Stokley 8-64, E. James 7-69, M. Harrison 5-44, R. Wayne 3-35, D. Clark 2-26, M. Pollard 1-2, D. Rhodes 1-(-2) Patriots C. Dillon 5-17, D. Givens 4-26-1 TD, T. Brown 2-13, C. Fauria 1-17, D. Branch 1-15, P. Pass 1-14, D. Patten 1-12, K. Faulk 1-11, D. Graham 1-10, B. Johnson 1-9 TACKLES Colts I. Bashir 9, M. Reagor 7, D. Thornton 7, B. Sanders 7, L. Tripplett 6, V. Hutchins 6, J. Williams 6, J. Jefferson 5, R. Morris 4, G. Brackett 4, C. June 4,J. David 3, M. Doss 3, N. Harper 3, R. Brock 2, C. Bird 1, Freeney 1, T. Peko 1, D. Rhodes 1, J. Stewart 1 Patriots R. Harrison 10, M. Vrabel 8, T. Bruschi 7, R. Gay 5, D. Reid 3, R. Phifer 3, A. Samuel 3, T. Brown 3, J. Cherry 2, W. McGinest 2, V. Wilfork 2, T. Warren 2, J. Green 2, T. Banta-Cain 1,L. Izzo 1 SACKS Colts Larry Tripplett 1-13, Dwight Freeney 1-9, Monty Reagor 1-7 Patriots Mike Vrabel 1-8 INTERCEPTIONS Colts None Patriots Rodney Harrison 1-9 |