News / Sports
AFC Championship Game: Historic Comeback as Indianapolis Colts Beat New England Patriots 38-34 for Super Bowl Birth
In a game that lived up to the hype the Indianapolis Colts put 32 points on the board in the second half to mount the largest comeback in AFC Championship history and beat the New England Patriots 38-34 to earn their ticket to Miami for Super Bowl XLI.
It certainly didn’t start pretty for the Colts as New England jumped on them early and led 21-3 midway through the second quarter. For the Pats it was a bit of good fortune that earned them their first touchdown as quarterback Tom Brady fumbled on the 4-yard line but Logan Mankins fell on the ball in the end zone for a New England touchdown.
Indianapolis was able to put three points up when Adam Vinatieri kicked a 42-yard field goal with under a minute remaining in the first quarter.
New England then drove 72-yards on their next possession and grabbed a 14-3 lead when Corey Dillon went 7-yards for a touchdown. As fast as it was 14-3, it became 21-3. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning threw an interception that was returned 39-yards by Asante Samuel and New England looked locked for their fourth Super Bowl trip in six years.
Just before the half closed the Colts cut into their 18-point deficit with another Vinatieri field goal and Indianapolis trailed 21-6 at the break.
Whether or not the Colts gained momentum from Vinatieri’s field goal or head coach Tony Dungy lit into his team, Indianapolis came out a different squad in the second half.
On their opening drive Manning drove them 76-yards and scored on a 1-yard keeper to bring the Colts to within eight, 21-13.
The Colts defense then did what they’ve done throughout this years playoffs and that was come up big. Stuffing the New England offense and forcing a punt, the Indy defense put the ball back in the hands of an offense ready to move.
Once again Manning drove the Colts 76-yards, capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to Dan Klecko and they were within two. Manning then found his favorite receiver, Marvin Harrison on a two-point conversion and the game was tied 21-21.
Determined not to let an 18-point advantage turn into a loss the Pats put themselves in great position to regain momentum. After the Colts scored, Ellis Hobbs returned the kickoff 80-yards and Brady led his offense the rest of the way, ending on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jabbar Gaffney and the Pats were back in front 28-21.
But the offensive juggernaut that is the Indianapolis Colts was awoken and they drove 67-yards and scored the tying touchdown on a Dominic Rhodes plunge to begin the fourth quarter.
With the score tied 28-28 both teams tried to kick their way to Miami. The Patriots went first with a 28-yarder from Stephen Gostkowski and New England was back in front by three.
Vinatieri then kicked his 11th field goal of the playoffs to tie the game once more at 31-31.
Gostkowski then answered the bell and kicked a 43-yard field goal for the Pats with just under four minutes remaining to give them a 34-31 advantage.
On their next possession it looked as if the Colts had run out of steam. Manning threw three straight incomplete and Indy was forced to punt. The Pats took over with a little more than three minutes remaining and looked to seal the win.
But the Colts defense held and gave Manning one more shot at earning the elusive Super Bowl trip that has dogged him since he became a professional. This time fate smiled down on the Colts and they mounted an impressive 80-yard drive in 1:17 and went ahead 38-34 on a 3-yard Joseph Addai touchdown.
There was still the matter of stopping Brady, who now had less than a minute to march his offense down the field for the go-ahead touchdown. As it turned out it wasn’t to be as he was picked off by Marlon Jackson with :24 seconds remaining and the fans at the RCA Dome were celebrating their Colts victory.
Manning finished with 349-yards passing and a touchdown in the air as well as a touchdown on the ground. Dallas Clark had 6 receptions for 137 yards as the Colts offense totaled 455 yards of offense. Defensively the Colts stepped up big, limiting the running attack of the Pats to just 93 yards while holding Tom Brady to 232 yards passing.
Indy will now face the Chicago Bears on Feb 4 in Super Bowl XLI. The match-up will not just be about Peyton Manning’s first trip to the big game, or the Bears first trip since their magical 1985 season. there will be plenty of focus on it being the first time two African-American head coaches will face off in the season finale, Tony Dungy of the Colts and Lovie Smith of the Bears.
