WP:Patriots Heading Back to the Super Bowl

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27807-2004Jan18.html

Patriots Heading Back to the Super Bowl

Law, New England's Defense Keep Order Against Manning and the Colts' Offense

By Mark Maske

Washington Post Staff Writer

Monday, January 19, 2004; Page D01

FOXBORO, Mass., Jan. 18 -- Bill Belichick, as usual, drew it up just right. And his New England Patriots defensive players, as usual, made it work just right. They stopped a quarterback and an offense that had looked unstoppable, and earned their second trip to the Super Bowl in three seasons Sunday by beating the Indianapolis Colts, 24-14, at snowy Gillette Stadium in the AFC championship game.

Patriots safety Rodney Harrison denies the Colts on their first possession, intercepting a pass in the end zone on a play intended for Marcus Pollard (81).

The Patriots won their 14th straight game by rendering Colts quarterback Peyton Manning mortal after his two near-perfect playoff performances. New England sacked Manning four times and intercepted him four times, and the Patriots made just enough out of their opportunities on offense with one touchdown pass by quarterback Tom Brady and five field goals by place kicker Adam Vinatieri.

"I thought Peyton deserved the credit" for his previous two games, said Patriots middle linebacker Tedy Bruschi. "But we looked at the film and said to ourselves, 'That's not happening this week.' We felt, 'Hit them when they had the ball, and hit them when they didn't have the ball.' To think they were going to come in here and run up and down the field on us was foolish."

The Colts caught a break with a warming trend that had the game-time temperature at a balmy 32 degrees, with only a slight wind. But even with relatively moderate conditions, Manning could not overcome the X's-and-O's brilliance of Belichick, as the Patriots' coach cemented his status as the sport's supreme defensive schemer.

The Patriots rarely blitzed but got pressure on Manning with three- and four-man rushes. Defensive end Jarvis Green had three sacks. New England disguised its coverages in the secondary and used cornerback Ty Law to blanket wide receiver Marvin Harrison, with help from safety Rodney Harrison. Law had three interceptions and limited Marvin Harrison to three catches for 19 yards. Rodney Harrison had an end-zone interception to end Indianapolis's opening drive of the game and forced a fumble by Marvin Harrison in Patriots territory late in the first half.

Belichick and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel stressed to their players all week that the Colts' receivers needed to be hit hard and hit often, and the Patriots delivered a series of jarring shots.

"It all comes down to physical play," Rodney Harrison said. "That's what we preached all week. Our aim was to play physical and hit those guys in the mouth, let them know we're here."

The Patriots (16-2) controlled the game with their defense and the running of tailback Antowain Smith, who rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries. But they had to endure some tense moments at the end of the game because they couldn't score enough points to put away the Colts (14-5).

Indianapolis got to 21-14 on Manning's seven-yard touchdown pass to tight end Marcus Pollard with 2 minutes 27 seconds to play. The Patriots recovered Mike Vanderjagt's onside kick but could run only 12 seconds off the clock, and the Colts got the ball back at their 20-yard line with 2:01 to go. They couldn't get a first down, however, as Manning threw four straight incompletions, the final two of which drew protests from Pollard and the Colts that the tight end had been held by linebacker Roman Phifer.

The Colts also lost on an instant-replay review with 1:29 remaining after Brady appeared to fumble on a third-and-six scramble. The officials ruled the play a fumble and a recovery by Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, but the call was reversed when the replay showed that Brady's knee was down before the ball was stripped by cornerback David Macklin. Vinatieri made a 34-yard field goal with 55 seconds left to end the Colts' hopes.

The Colts constantly undermined themselves with mistakes in this game, including a dropped interception that led to a Patriots field goal and a botched snap on a punt that gave New England a safety. Manning never looked comfortable on a day in which he completed only 23 of 47 passes for 237 yards.

"I would have liked to have done my job better today, and I'm disappointed I didn't," Manning said. "I didn't do my part."

Said Belichick: "We knew we had our hands full with them. . . . We put a few things in this week that were kind of new, kind of untested, and our players really responded to them."

Belichick had two fourth-down gambles in the first half pay off. The first led to a seven-yard touchdown pass from Brady to wideout David Givens to cap the Patriots' opening drive. The second gamble resulted in a 31-yard field goal by Vinatieri. The Patriots had an answer every time Indianapolis threatened. When tailback Edgerrin James's two-yard touchdown run got the Colts to 15-7 in the third quarter, the Patriots got field goals by Vinatieri on their next two drives.

The Patriots improved to 10-0 at home this season and remained unbeaten anywhere since a Sept. 28 defeat to the Washington Redskins.

"To win 14 in a row is unbelievable," said Brady, who threw his first interception of the season at home but completed 22 of 37 passes for 237 yards. "Who does that? Nobody does that. . . . [but] the goal still hasn't been achieved."

Manning began as if he would pick up right where he left off last weekend in Kansas City. His first throw produced a 32-yard completion to Pollard, and the Colts moved to the New England 5. But on a third-down play, Manning kept waiting and kept backpedaling, then threw late toward Pollard in the back of the end zone. Rodney Harrison stepped in front of the tight end and made the interception.

"We knew if we stayed patient, we would have some opportunities at some balls Peyton threw up there," Harrison said. "Ty did a great job. He had Marvin locked down, and that gave me an opportunity to roam. . . . Ty is the best cornerback in the league. He proved it today, playing against the best receiver in the NFL."