Colts ground Jets, head to super bowl
INDIANAPOLIS-After a three-year hiatus filled with key injuries and back-to-back playoff losses to the San Diego Chargers, the Indianapolis Colts head back to the Super Bowl after their 30-17 victory over the New York Jets in the AFC Championship Game Sunday.
Like the AFC Championship Game in January 2007, victory didn’t come easily. After Colts running back Joseph Addai fumbled in Jets territory, Jets kicker Jay Feeley’s 48-yard field goal put the Colts down by 11 with 2:11 to play in the first half.
“It wasn’t a great start,” Colts quarterback Peyton Manning said. “You tried to feel them out and get some rhythm. When we fumbled, it wasn’t looking good.”
But middle linebacker Gary Brackett knew the Colts had been there before.
“We’ve been in that situation all season,” Colts middle linebacker Gary Brackett said. “We’ve had several comeback victories. Our guys were a little rattled at first, but we did what we needed to do in the second half.”
Before the second half, the Colts finally got rolling. Following the two-minute warning, Manning connected with wide receiver Austin Collie for 46 yards.
“That play—down the field to Collie—is what really got us going,” Manning said. “It broke us open. From that point on, we really had a good beat on things.”
On the next play, Manning connected with Collie again—this time for a 16-yard touchdown.
“That was rough. Right before half—when they got that touchdown—that took the wind out of our sails,” Jets head coach Rex Ryan said.
“To get that score made a huge difference going into the half,” Colts head coach Jim Caldwell said.
On their next possession, the Colts took the lead. Three completions to wide receiver Pierre Garcon advanced the ball inside the five-yard line. Midway through the third quarter, Manning connected with Garcon for a four-yard touchdown, re-taking the lead at 20-17.
Garcon finished the day with 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. Collie finished with seven catches for 123 yards and a touchdown.
“They aren’t rookies anymore,” Caldwell said. “They certainly played well. They played a very important part in this victory.”
“They’ve done a great job for us all season,” added Manning. “They’ve gotten better. I believe—at this point—you’re not really a rookie anymore. They made some huge plays for us today.”
In the fourth quarter, the Colts booked their tickets to Miami when Manning connected with tight end Dallas Clark for a 15-yard touchdown. Manning finished the day 26 of 39 for 377 yards and three touchdowns, his best statistical performance of the season.
“With Peyton Manning, if you can’t disrupt his rhythm, he’s going to kill you,” Ryan said. “We couldn’t disrupt it enough.”
