21°Haze
4:40 PM ET, January 11,2015
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
Top Performers
Passing: A. Luck (IND) - 265 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INTRushing: C. Anderson (DEN) - 18 CAR, 80 YDS
Receiving: T. Hilton (IND) - 4 REC, 72 YDS
ESPN.com news services
Luck, Colts Knock Off Broncos
Hardly pressured all afternoon, Luck threw two touchdown passes and outplayed Peyton Manning in leading the Indianapolis Colts past the Denver Broncos 24-13 Sunday.
The Colts (13-5) advanced to the AFC championship game at New England (13-4), where they lost 42-20 on Nov. 16. The Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas installed the Patriots as 7.5-point favorites. The over/under total opened at 54.
More from ESPN.com
Andrew
Luck will try to pull off a rare feat next Sunday in the AFC
Championship Game: beat Peyton Manning and New England's Tom Brady in
back-to-back playoff games, Mike Wells writes. Story
The
Broncos were loaded with high-profile, highly paid talent -- with a
league-best nine Pro Bowl selections -- but they didn't get upper-tier
play from most of them against the Colts, writes Jeff Legwold. Story
Following
another failed attempt to win another Super Bowl ring for Peyton
Manning, the Denver Broncos must make big decisions on Demaryius Thomas
and Julius Thomas, Field Yates writes. Story 
They sure were Sunday night in the Rockies, where Denver had gone 8-0 this season and averaged 35 points a game.
"I think we're playing good team ball," said Luck, who improved to 3-2 in the playoffs with his first road win. "We're feeding off each other. Offensively we're making enough plays to put some points on the board. Great night. So proud to be a part of the Colts in this victory."
The Broncos (12-5) are left to deal with the hangover of yet another playoff debacle -- and, more importantly, questions about Manning's future.
After saying on Christmas Eve that he planned on coming back for an 18th season, the five-time MVP wasn't so certain after his latest playoff fiasco.
Asked point blank if he planned on playing next season, Manning said, "Uh, yeah, I guess I just can't give that simple answer, I'm processing it. So, I can't say that. I could not say that."
It was the first time Manning had been ambiguous about his future since spinal fusion surgery on his neck cost him all of the 2011 season and led Colts owner Jim Irsay to release him in 2012 so he could use the top pick to draft Luck.
"I knew it was the right thing to do for the Colts," Irsay said outside his jubilant locker room. "I saw Archie (Manning) last night. We had a nice conversation. Happened to be at Elway's Restaurant at the Ritz Carlton. It was a decision that it was the right move to make. Peyton and I had talked about it. He said it best in the press conference, I didn't decide. He didn't decide. The football gods laid the cards out. We both knew it as best for him and us."
There's sure to be questions about John Fox's future, as well. He's won four straight AFC West titles, but keeps coming up short in what he calls the "real season."
"I'm the head coach, the buck stops here," Fox said.
The Broncos were the AFC's only unbeaten team at home and the only team in the NFL with a top-five offense and a top-five defense.
"We picked a bad day to have a bad game," said Terrance Knighton, who had guaranteed these Broncos, with an NFL-high nine Pro Bowlers, would hoist the Lombardi Trophy next month.
Manning has gone one-and-done in the playoffs a record nine times in his otherwise stellar career. That includes twice in Denver, where he's 38-10 in the regular season but just 2-3 in the playoffs.
Overall, he's 11-13 in the postseason and this was one of his worst playoff performances ever. He never found a rhythm, constantly overthrew his receivers and finished 26 of 46 for 111 yards, one TD and no interceptions.
"It's just disappointing. Everyone would like to win their last game of the season," Manning said after guiding Denver to a TD on its opening possession and just two field goals on his final 11 drives.
Each of his three seasons in Denver has ended in humbling losses, to the Ravens and Colts at home after first-round byes, and to Seattle in last year's Super Bowl.
These Broncos were better balanced with a grinding ground game and star-studded defense bolstered by John Elway's signings of Aqib Talib, DeMarcus Ware and T.J. Ward to a guaranteed $60 million in free agency.
But none of them came up big Sunday and the Broncos were left to deal with yet another wrenching playoff loss.
Luck completed 27 of 43 passes for 265 yards with two TDs and two interceptions that were the equivalent of punts and no sacks.
"We needed to win the game for us. It wasn't about Peyton or Andrew or anything like that," Irsay said. "It was about just us trying to beat the Broncos. Again, this was the Colts vs. the Broncos, even though the quarterbacks mean so much."
The Colts stretched a four-point halftime lead to 21-10 when Luck drove the Colts 72 yards in 11 plays, hitting Hakeem Nicks from 15 yards midway through the third quarter.
On fourth-and-1 from the Colts 36, C.J. Anderson eluded three tacklers in the backfield and gained 7 yards. But once again, the Broncos stalled and had to settle for Connor Barth's 41-yard field goal that made it 21-13 with 13:50 remaining.
Luck then drove the Colts 54 yards in 13 plays, chewing up more than 8 minutes before Adam Vinatieri's 30-yard field goal made it 24-13 with four minutes remaining in the half-empty Sports Authority Field.
Denver's only lead was 7-0 on Manning's 1-yard fade pass to Demaryius Thomas on the Broncos' first drive. Daniel Herron's 6-yard TD run tied it.
After a Manning fumble, Luck hit tight end Dwayne Allen with a 3-yard strike to put the Colts ahead for good 14-7.
"It was an unbelievable performance by the guys on the road," Irsay said. "Onward we go. We know the trails even get tougher."
Game notes
There were no significant injuries. ... Luck improved to 5-1 in temperatures 40 or below. ... Manning fell to 2-4 following a divisional bye. ... The Colts were 0-4 against Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Tony Romo and Tom Brady in the regular season. ESPN.com's David Purdum and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
Photo Wire
Denver Broncos fan Daniel Scarborough, 12, awaits an NFL divisional playoff football game against the Indianapolis...
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Team Stat Comparison
IND
|
DEN
| |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Downs | 23 | 19 |
Passing 1st downs
| 15 | 10 |
Rushing 1st downs
| 6 | 6 |
1st downs from penalties
| 2 | 3 |
3rd down efficiency
| 5-13 | 4-16 |
4th down efficiency
| 0-0 | 1-2 |
| Total Plays | 71 | 68 |
| Total Yards | 364 | 288 |
| Yards per play | 5.1 | 4.2 |
| Total Drives | 12 | 12 |
| Passing | 265 | 200 |
Comp-Att
| 27-43 | 26-46 |
Yards per pass
| 6.2 | 4.2 |
Interceptions thrown
| 2 | 0 |
Sacks-Yards Lost
| 0-0 | 2-11 |
| Rushing | 99 | 88 |
Rushing Attempts
| 28 | 20 |
Yards per rush
| 3.5 | 4.4 |
| Red Zone (Made-Att) | 3-4 | 1-1 |
| Penalties | 10-67 | 2-8 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
Fumbles lost
| 0 | 1 |
Interceptions thrown
| 2 | 0 |
| Defensive / Special Teams TDs | 0 | 0 |
| Possession | 34:01 | 25:59 |
Scoring Summary
| FIRST QUARTER | IND | DEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | TD | 10:00 | Demaryius Thomas 1 Yd pass from Peyton Manning (Connor Barth Kick)
Drive info: 7 plays, 68 yds, 3:37
| 0 | 7 |
| SECOND QUARTER | IND | DEN | |||
 | TD | 14:14 | Daniel Herron 6 Yd Run (Adam Vinatieri Kick)
Drive info: 9 plays, 73 yds, 5:05
| 7 | 7 |
| TD | 7:23 | Dwayne Allen 3 Yd pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri Kick)
Drive info: 8 plays, 41 yds, 3:41
| 14 | 7 |
| FG | 0:02 | Connor Barth 45 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 7 plays, 25 yds, 1:26
| 14 | 10 |
| THIRD QUARTER | IND | DEN | |||
| TD | 8:21 | Hakeem Nicks 15 Yd pass from Andrew Luck (Adam Vinatieri Kick)
Drive info: 11 plays, 72 yds, 5:16
| 21 | 10 |
| FOURTH QUARTER | IND | DEN | |||
| FG | 13:50 | Connor Barth 41 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 14 plays, 53 yds, 6:23
| 21 | 13 |
| FG | 4:06 | Adam Vinatieri 30 Yd Field Goal
Drive info: 13 plays, 54 yds, 8:14
| 24 | 13 |
Research Notes
Since winning the Super Bowl following the 2006 season, Peyton Manning
is just 4-7 in the postseason. That's the 3rd-most starts by a QB, but
tied for the 8th-most wins. Among the other QB with 4 postseason wins in
that time... Mark Sanchez.
[+] |
Peyton Manning
went 2-of-12 passing 15+ yards downfield Sunday. He overthrew his
receivers 8 times, 3 more than his previous high with the Broncos.
[+] |
Andrew Luck
is now 3-2 in his first 3 postseason appearances, making it to the
playoffs in each NFL season...
Manning was one-and-done in each of his first 3 playoff appearances,
failing to win a postseason game until his 6th NFL season...
Manning threw just 1 TD and 186 yards per game in those first 3
postseasons. Luck is at 9 TD and 340.6 YPG.
[+] |
- Peyton Manning
has lost 9 times in his teams opening game of the postseason. That's
more than twice as many such losses as any other QB in the Super Bowl
Era (since 1966).
[+] |
Peyton Manning now has a losing record in the postseason (3-4) in games in which his team is favored by a touchdown or more.
[+] |
That 3rd-quarter Rec TD was Hakeem Nicks' first in the postseason since catching 4 during the Giants' 2011 Super Bowl run.
|
Peyton Manning
is headed in the wrong direction in the playoffs with Denver. After a
strong first three appearances, his performance has fallen off over the
last two.
[+] |
The similarities for Manning and Luck go beyond the whole "both were drafted first overall by the Colts" thing...
[+] |
Peyton Manning has thrown a touchdown pass in 13 straight playoff games, tied for the third-longest streak in postseason history.
[+] |
Andrew Luck
was under duress on 15 of his 45 dropbacks (33%), his highest
percentage in any game this season. Luck did not take a sack despite the
pressure.
Luck was 8-of-13 for 99 yards and a TD under pressure. During the
regular season, Luck's 7 Pass TD under duress were tied for the most in
the NFL.
|
Andrew Luck has thrown for 1,703 yards in his playoff career, the most by any player in their first five postseason games in NFL history.
[+] |
The Colts blitzed Peyton Manning
on 9 of his 15 3rd-down dropbacks (60%), just the 2nd team this season
to blitz Manning that much on 3rd down. Manning went 2-of-8 passing and
lost a fumble on a sack against 3rd-down blitzes Sunday.
[+] |
Andrew Luck
threw 2 interceptions Sunday on his only 2 throws at least 30 yards
downfield, both coming on 3rd down and at least 12 yards to go in Colts
territory.
Luck's interceptions were thrown 43 and 37 yards downfield respectively,
and the Broncos gained a total of 2 return yards on both, leaving the
average change in field position 39 yards on Luck's turnovers.
When the Colts punted, they averaged 37.5 net yards per punt Sunday.
Given Indy's average net punting distance, Luck's interceptions were
actually more effective than the Colts' average punts.
|
Peyton Manning
was 6-of-21 for 107 yards (5.1 yards per att) on throws deeper than 5
yards downfield. Only 2 quarterbacks in the last 9 seasons posted a
lower completion percentage in a playoff game than Manning's 29% on
those throws: Jay Cutler (16.7% in 2010 NFC Championship vs Packers) and Matt Cassel
(22.2% in 2010 AFC Wild Card Playoff vs Ravens).
Manning was 2-for-12 (16.7%) for 49 yards on throws at least 15 yards
downfield, his lowest completion percentage on deep throws in a game
since Week 12 of 2013 (16.7% vs Patriots). Manning tied a season high
with 8 overthrown passes Sunday, all of which came on throws at least 15
yards downfield. Manning's 8 overthrown deep balls were 3 more than
he's had in a game with the Broncos.
|
Manning hasn't been nearly as good in the postseason as the regular season as a member of the Denver Broncos. His Total QBR is nearly 20 points lower in the playoffs.
[+] |
In
his last 2 games, Manning was a combined 20-of-41 (48.8%) on throws
outside the numbers, averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. Manning completed
62.6% of those throws and averaged 7.4 yards per attempt in his 1st 15
games.
|
Manning was 7-of-16 for 46 yards targeting Emmanuel Sanders,
the only game this season where the duo posted a completion percentage
below 50%. Sanders' average reception was caught 4.3 yards downfield,
and Manning was 1-of-9 for 17 yards targeting Sanders at least 10 yards
downfield.
|
Taking
care of the football is a problem for the Colts, as their 31 turnovers
is tied for the 3rd-most in the NFL in the regular season.
Over the last 3 seasons, Indy stands 24-4 when they have an even or
positive turnover differential -- the 2nd-best record in such games.
The Colts are 9-11 when they lose the turnover battle.
[+] |
Peyton Manning finished the 1st half 7-of-18 (38.9%), his lowest completion percentage in a 1st half since Week 11 of 2007 (37.5%).
|
Peyton Manning
is in danger of setting new postseason career lows. His lows in
completions, completion percentage, yards and yards per attempt were all
set in a 41-0 Wild Card loss to the Jets in the 2002 season.
[+] |
Andrew Luck threw 17 TD targeting tight ends this season, tied for the most in the NFL (Brady and Brees).
|
Andrew Luck has a pair of wins in his first 3 postseasons, making the playoffs in all 3 seasons. In Peyton Manning's
first 3 postseasons, all with the Colts, he failed to win a game and
was held well under 200 pass yards per game. Luck, on the other hand, is
averaging nearly 360 pass yards a game in his 4 career postseason
games.
[+] |
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