NFL: Indianapolis Colts set up Patriots clash after convincing win over Denver Broncos
Monday 12 January 2015 11:24, UK
The Indianapolis Colts will play the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game next week after a complete performance helped them to a 24-13 win over Denver in Colorado.
The Colts became the only road team to win their Divisional Playoff clash this weekend as Broncos QB Peyton Manning was shut down while the much-vaunted Denver pass-rush failed to get close to Andrew Luck.
Manning and the Broncos began well, capitalising on a roughing-the-passer call to extend a potential three-and-out series into two big plays to Demaryius Thomas - Manning hitting him on the sideline before floating one over his shoulder for the first score of the game.
But the Colts warmed to their task as the first quarter drew to a close and Dan Herron capped a spirited drive with a run in off the counter from six yards.
Manning's troubles then began when Jonathan Newsome stripped him of the ball, allowing Jerrell Freeman to dive on the loose ball and force the turnover.
The Colts' growing confidence saw them attempt a flea-flicker and although it didn't come off, a holding call on 3rd & 12 gave them another shot at the endzone and Luck made no mistake at the second time of asking, rifling in a bullet pass to Dwayne Allen, who bullied his way into the endzone before taking a sharp catch.
A Connor Barth field goal reduced the deficit before the break, but the Colts were back in charge five minutes after half-time - Luck hitting Hakeem Nicks with a perfect pass into coverage that Nicks did very well to hold on to.
On the other side of the ball, Manning suffered a streak of seven straight incompletions - his worst run in his playoff career - as the Colts played a high-press bump-and-run defence that gave him no time to pick his way back into the game.
He finished the game with 26 completions from 46 attempts and just 211 yards and he was let down by his receiving corps - Thomas dropping two critical early passes while Wes Welker did not bring in a catch until late in the fourth.
Both teams traded field goals in the final quarter, but the Broncos never looked like closing the gap, leaving Manning to walk off the field with questions asked about whether it will prove to be his last NFL game.
For the Colts, Luck was 27/43 and threw for 265 yards and he will face off against Tom Brady and the Patriots in Massachusetts for the AFC title next Sunday.
