ANDERSON, Ind.—The Colts are moving their training camp from Terre Haute, Ind., to Anderson, Ind., where it was held for the first 15 years the team was in Indianapolis.

The team announced Wednesday that the new camp will be at Anderson University, a private Christian school with 2,700 students in central Indiana. Camp runs [...]]]> Associated Press

ANDERSON, Ind.—The Colts are moving their training camp from Terre Haute, Ind., to Anderson, Ind., where it was held for the first 15 years the team was in Indianapolis.

The team announced Wednesday that the new camp will be at Anderson University, a private Christian school with 2,700 students in central Indiana. Camp runs Aug. 1-18.

The Colts had held training camp in Anderson starting in 1984, when they moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, and through the 1998 preaseason. The camp had been in Terre Haute for the past 11 years.

Colts president Bill Polian said in a news release that Anderson was “a successful summer home” for the team for many years.

The team, university and city officials have a news conference planned for Thursday morning at Anderson University.

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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley (56) and New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis (92) celebrate during the NFL football Pro Bowl Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, in Miami.

MIAMI — In its new role as a warmup to the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl became a series of wind sprints.

Long gains [...]]]> Associated Press

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley (56) and New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis (92) celebrate during the NFL football Pro Bowl Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010, in Miami.

MIAMI — In its new role as a warmup to the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl became a series of wind sprints.

Long gains were the rule and hard hitting was the exception as the AFC beat the NFC 41-34 on Sunday night.

Light showers fell for much of the game, stirring memories of a rainy Super Bowl in Miami three years ago. But uniforms remained mostly spotless, with more pushing and shoving than tackling.

“It’s different. It was like 7 on 7,” NFC linebacker Brian Orakpo said. “Everybody came out here trying not to get hurt and give the fans a good show”

Matt Schaub of the Houston Texans threw for 189 yards and two AFC scores, and was chosen the most valuable player.

“It’s a game you watch growing up as a kid and wonder if you could ever be in,” Schaub said. “To actually be a part of it is incredible.”

Aaron Rodgers also threw two touchdown passes, and NFC teammate DeSean Jackson had two scoring catches.

From the standpoint of ticket sales, this year’s new venue and slot on the league calendar was a success. The crowd of 70,697 was the largest for a Pro Bowl since 1959 in Los Angeles.

Spectators included Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and other Pro Bowl players from the Super Bowl teams. Manning and the Indianapolis Colts will face Brees and the New Orleans Saints on the same field next Sunday in the biggest game of the season.

The NFL sought to transform the Pro Bowl into a bigger game by playing it before the Super Bowl for the first time. In a one-year experiment, the league also moved the game from Honolulu, its home since 1980.

The stadium was half empty by the third quarter, perhaps partly because of the rain and temperatures in the 60s. It was sunny and 82 in Honolulu at game time.

Did the weather dampen the players’ enthusiasm for Miami?

“It’s beautiful. It’s paradise,” NFC receiver Steve Smith said. “Too bad it’s not Hawaii.”

Eager to host more big events, the Dolphins have proposed adding a roof that would cover fans as part of stadium improvements that could cost $250 million or more. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the upgrades are needed if South Florida is to remain competitive in bidding for future Super Bowls.

Nearly 40 percent of the players originally selected for the game didn’t play. One of the AFC replacements, David Garrard, threw for 183 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown to Vincent Jackson.

“It’s so awesome,” Garrard said. “One of my goals coming into the game was to just be relevant and show all the people who said, `What is he doing in there? The Pro Bowl has dropped off a few pegs,’ that I do belong.”

Vincent Jackson made seven catches for 122 yards. Chad Ochocinco had a 40-yard reception but didn’t do any kicking after practicing placements and punts for the AFC during the week.

“That’s OK. It was fun anyway,” Ochocinco said.

DeSean Jackson scored on a 7-yard pass from Rodgers and a 58-yard pass from Donovan McNabb, his regular quarterback with the Eagles.

“I’m just out here having a great time,” Jackson said. “And at the same time I’m trying to put out a little effort.”

There were plenty of other big plays. Josh Cribbs caught a punt at the goal line and returned it 65 yards. A penalty negated LaMarr Woodley’s 64-interception return for a touchdown.

“I slowed up to get a little camera time,” Woodley said.

The AFC totaled 517 yards and the NFC 470. Both teams threw for more than 400 yards.

Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, a 12-year veteran playing in his first Pro Bowl, found the AFC’s offensive approach exhausting.

“They came out with a bunch of screens and had us running around,” Fletcher said.

But there were no complaints from Fletcher’s teammate on defense, first-time Pro Bowler Justin Smith of the 49ers.

“The pace is nice,” Smith said. “You don’t have to worry about working too hard.”

The game will return to Honolulu in 2011 and 2012, but the league hasn’t decided whether to hold those games before or after the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl site for 2013 and beyond hasn’t been determined.

Quarterback Peyton Manning was 26/39 for 377yds and 3TD's

INDIANAPOLIS — This is perfect for the Indianapolis Colts: They have Peyton Manning and they’re back in the Super Bowl.

The four-time MVP threw three touchdown passes and the Colts rallied from an 11-point, first-half deficit to beat the New York Jets 30-17 [...]]]> Associated Press

Quarterback Peyton Manning was 26/39 for 377yds and 3TD's

INDIANAPOLIS — This is perfect for the Indianapolis Colts: They have Peyton Manning and they’re back in the Super Bowl.

The four-time MVP threw three touchdown passes and the Colts rallied from an 11-point, first-half deficit to beat the New York Jets 30-17 Sunday in the AFC championship game.

The Colts (16-2) are now headed back to the NFL title game for the second time in four years and their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history. Better yet, they’re heading back to their lucky city — Miami, where they’ve played all four of those games and won there twice.

“I thought we just kept our mouths shut and went to work this week,” Manning said.

The big-talking Jets, and their equally big-talking coach, Rex Ryan, were all the incentive Indy needed Sunday.

A month ago, when the New Yorkers last came to town, Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell pulled his starters in the third quarter and gave up a chance at a perfect season to focus on a Super Bowl run. Fans booed throughout the fourth quarter and when the Colts left the field, and some spent the past month complaining publicly.

That’s over now.

Manning stayed on the field for every Colts play and instead of blowing a lead, the Colts rallied behind their leader.

This time, fans counted down the final seconds while streamers and confetti hung in the air, flash bulbs popped incessantly and when the official announcement was made, roars cascaded from the rafters.

“We talked about being patient against these guys,” Manning said. “We knew it would be a four-quarter game.”

The Colts will face either New Orleans or Minnesota in two weeks, giving Manning a chance to play in the same venue where he beat Chicago in the rain and won the MVP award three years ago.

Just as special was having the Colts career rushing leader, Edgerrin James, present the team with the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which goes to the AFC champs. He never made it to the Super Bowl with the Colts, though team owner Jim Irsay gave James a ring when the Colts beat the Bears.

Players savored every precious moment. Receiver Pierre Garcon, who had 11 catches for 153 yards, both career-highs, and the go-ahead score raised a Haitian flag to honor his family and friends who still live there. Garcon and others remained on the field long after the official celebration, mingling family, friends and fans as the Colts redeemed themselves for this season’s first loss.

“We’ve been here before, we had seven comeback wins this year. I think the guys were a little rattled at first, I think we took their best shot, but we came back,” linebacker Gary Brackett said. “I think we did a great job of being the hunters and imposing our will today.”

Manning finished 26 of 39 for 377 yards. He became the first player in league history with seven 300-yard postseason games. That broke a tie with Kurt Warner and Joe Montana.

The Jets’ magical run ended with their first road loss in six games.

New York (11-8) built a 17-6 lead and took advantage of trick plays. But the Jets lost running back Shonn Greene with a rib injury in the second half, and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was shut out over the final two quarters.

“Today wasn’t our day. There’s no question,” said Ryan, who declared his Jets the Super Bowl favorites before the playoffs. “You have to give credit to the Colts. Obviously they’re the cream of the crop right now.”

Jim Caldwell became only the fifth rookie coach to reach the Super Bowl. Only two others — San Francisco’s George Seifert and Don McCafferty, of the Baltimore Colts — have won it.

But Caldwell does have Manning, who drove the Colts right through New York’s No. 1 ranked defense with his uncanny precision. He kept dropping passes right over the fingertips of defenders, and the frustrated Jets couldn’t stop him.

“You can have great man coverage, but that ball is right where it needs to be,” safety Jim Leonhard said.

Garcon was one beneficiary. The other was rookie Austin Collie, who had a career-best seven catches for 123 yards, his first 100-yard day as a pro. And the Jets allowed three TD passes for the first time all season.

After falling behind late in the first half, Manning responded. He took the Colts 80 yards in four plays, hooking up three straight times with Collie, including the 16-yard TD pass that made it 17-13 with 1:13 to go in the half.

Manning was just getting started.

The next time he got the ball, he took the Colts 57 yards in eight plays, connecting with Garcon in the back corner of the end zone to make it 20-17 with 8:03 left in the third quarter.

“The guys have always been a very confident bunch and they do a great job of hanging in there,” Caldwell said. “Peyton had just an outstanding game. He’s one of those guys that can adjust to different situations. … A real champion.”

Manning still wasn’t finished. His 15-yard TD pass to Dallas Clark midway through the fourth quarter made it 27-17 and Kelvin Hayden’s late interception ended the Jets’ last hope.

It sure didn’t look like it would end this way during a scoreless the first quarter.

The Colts uncharacteristically struggled to get first downs, and settled for field goals instead of scoring touchdowns.

New York also changed tactics, creating its big plays through the air.

Sanchez, the fourth rookie quarterback to lead his team to the conference title game and lose, used a beautiful play-action fake to fool rookie cornerback Jacob Lacey. Lacey, who started in place of the injured Jerraud Powers, was burned for an 80-yard TD pass by Braylon Edwards giving the Jets a 7-3 lead.

After the Colts cut it to 7-6, Jets receiver Brad Smith lined up in the TigerCat formation and connected with Jerricho Cotchery for a 45-yard pass to the Colts 12. It was Smith’s first career completion out of an offensive formation. Three plays later, Sanchez barely avoided a sack and found Dustin Keller for a 9-yard TD pass to give the Jets a 14-6 lead with 4:53 to go in the half.

The Jets made it 17-6 after Joseph Addai’s fumble set up Jay Feely’s 48-yard field goal.

That’s when Manning the Colts took over — and closed it out.

“Probably the biggest thing is when he goes up against the best, he takes his game to another level,” Caldwell said. “I think that’s something we’ve kind of grown accustomed to around here.”

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis has returned to practice on a limited basis with a broken left hand.

Ellis, one of the Jets’ top pass rushers, was injured early in the team’s victory at San Diego on Sunday. He missed practice Wednesday, but was on the field in [...]]]> Associated Press

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis has returned to practice on a limited basis with a broken left hand.

Ellis, one of the Jets’ top pass rushers, was injured early in the team’s victory at San Diego on Sunday. He missed practice Wednesday, but was on the field in a cast Thursday and is expected to play in the AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Safety Kerry Rhodes bumped his knee and was limited during practice, as were linebackers Bart Scott (left ankle) and David Harris (right ankle). All are expected to play.

Fullback Tony Richardson (ribs) and cornerback Donald Strickland (broken finger) were full participants, as were quarterback Mark Sanchez (knee) and wide receiver Danny Woodhead (knee).

NY Jets at Indianapolis, 3:00 PM ET, January 24, 2010 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

Peyton Manning stood on the sideline with his helmet still on and arms folded, helpless as the Indianapolis Colts’ undefeated run ended in Week 16. The New York Jets won’t get any such breaks this time.

At [...]]]> STATS LLC

NY Jets at Indianapolis, 3:00 PM ET, January 24, 2010 Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

Peyton Manning stood on the sideline with his helmet still on and arms folded, helpless as the Indianapolis Colts’ undefeated run ended in Week 16. The New York Jets won’t get any such breaks this time.

At stake now is a Super Bowl appearance, with Manning and the Colts getting another shot at the confident Jets and their powerful defense in the AFC championship Sunday afternoon.

With home-field advantage already secured, Indianapolis (15-2) pulled Manning and other starters early in the second half against New York (11-7) on Dec. 27. The Jets took advantage, ending the Colts’ league-record 23-game regular-season winning streak while grabbing control of their playoff destiny with a 29-15 victory.

Though he never questioned rookie coach Jim Caldwell’s decision, Manning didn’t appear happy about it on the sideline at Lucas Oil Stadium as the Colts gave the Jets a window of opportunity that they have taken full advantage of.

Hosting its first conference title game since its Super Bowl title run four years ago, Indianapolis is hoping the extra rest will pay off against a New York team that had to scrap its way through the end of the regular season and two hard-fought playoff victories.

“I told them we wanted to end the regular season fresh, ready and well prepared,” Caldwell said. “I believe we did. It doesn’t give you any guarantees. It’s what you believe in and your convictions and playing well when it comes time.”

Despite trailing by five when the Colts decided to rest some of their regulars, the Jets kept hearing how Indianapolis handed them the victory. They used that as motivation to become the only road team to win in the divisional round, but coach Rex Ryan insists his team doesn’t need any extra incentive for this contest.

“This is the AFC championship,” said Ryan, whose team ranked first in total defense and scoring defense this season. “The motivation is going to come from the fact that the winner of this game advances to the Super Bowl. That’s probably motivation enough.”

This is the first time a conference championship game will have two first-year coaches, and the first time it will feature a Super Bowl rematch. The Jets’ only trip to the Super Bowl came before the AFL-NFL merger, when Joe Namath and New York stunned the heavily favored Baltimore Colts 16-7 in 1969.

Mark Sanchez doesn’t have Namath’s credentials, though the 23-year-old Jets rookie already has as many playoff wins (two).

Manning is certain to eventually join Johnny Unitas, his predecessor from that Super Bowl, in the Hall of Fame, and he appeared sharp coming off the bye in helping Indianapolis beat Baltimore 20-3 on Saturday.

Manning threw two touchdowns and went 30 of 44 for 246 yards while directing a patient offense. The running game again seemed to be an afterthought for the Colts, gaining 25 yards on 16 carries, while Manning completed 12 passes for 73 yards to his top targets, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark.

Those numbers were subpar for the Pro Bowlers as Indianapolis prevailed against an aggressive Ravens defense. The Colts now have to contend with a relentless Jets team that shut down high-powered San Diego in a 17-14 win Sunday to advance to its first conference title game in 11 years.

New York, the AFC’s fifth seed, has won seven of eight after losing six of seven.

“We believed the whole time, the whole year, when it probably wasn’t the popular choice,” Ryan said. “We don’t have to apologize to anyone.”

Over the Jets’ last eight games, only the Colts have scored more than 14 points against them. A physical running game complements New York’s defense, with rookie Shonn Greene stepping up to take most of the carries from veteran Thomas Jones in recent weeks.

Greene rushed for 420 yards and two TDs in his last four games for the Jets, who were the top-ranked rushing team during the regular season, taking pressure off Sanchez.

Indianapolis ranked 24th against the run but held the Ravens’ potent rushing attack to 87 yards in a dominant defensive effort. The Colts’ defense relies on speed, and Caldwell wanted the unit playing faster at the end of the season even if it meant resting starters.

“That was one of our goals,” Caldwell said. “I really believe in speed, particularly at a time of the year when maybe you can gain a step or two.”

The Colts will likely stack the line of scrimmage in an attempt to stop the run, forcing Sanchez to beat them. Sanchez, though, has played mostly mistake-free over his past four games, and has made big throws when the Jets have needed them.

Against the Chargers, he threw a go-ahead, 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller three plays into the fourth quarter to give New York its first lead at 10-7.

The Jets are trying to become the first team to win a Super Bowl with a rookie quarterback.

“To get to the Super Bowl, no team really has an easy ride,” New York linebacker Bart Scott said. “If you want to earn the right to go to the Super Bowl, you have to go through teams you’re not supposed to beat.”

The Colts lost their only playoff matchup with the Jets 41-0 in a wild-card contest Jan. 4, 2003. Manning was intercepted twice and limited to 137 yards for a 31.3 passer rating, his lowest in 16 playoff appearances.

New York defensive end Shaun Ellis is expected to play despite suffering a broken left hand on the Jets’ first defensive play against San Diego. He returned to the game wearing a cast.

New York Jets running back Shonn Greene (23) runs for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers in the fourth quarter an NFL divisional playoff football game.

SAN DIEGO — Maybe Rex Ryan already knows the score of the AFC championship game, too.

The rookie coach who, at one point, didn’t know [...]]]> Associated Press

New York Jets running back Shonn Greene (23) runs for a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers in the fourth quarter an NFL divisional playoff football game.

SAN DIEGO — Maybe Rex Ryan already knows the score of the AFC championship game, too.

The rookie coach who, at one point, didn’t know his Jets were still in playoff contention, then declared them Super Bowl favorites, will need some more bold predictions.

His Jets are still playing.

Rookies Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene led New York to a stunning 17-14 upset of San Diego in the divisional playoffs Sunday, each providing a touchdown in the fourth quarter that marked another Chargers postseason pratfall.

“It’s a big win for our franchise,” Sanchez said, “and we’re not done.”

Sanchez threw a go-ahead, 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dustin Keller three plays into the fourth quarter, then Greene gave the Jets some breathing room with a 53-yard scoring run on their next possession.

The upstart Jets (11-7), who have won seven of their last eight, advanced to the AFC championship game for the first time since 1999. They’ll play at top-seeded Indianapolis next Sunday.

“A matchup that probably nobody wanted, but too bad,” Ryan said. “Here we come!”

Of course, it was the Colts who pulled Peyton Manning and other starters in the second half of their Week 16 game against the Jets, who rallied for a victory that put them in control of their playoff destiny.

Before that game, Ryan said his holiday wish was for the Colts to rest Manning & Co.

“I don’t know if Santa Claus will be that good to me again,” Ryan said. “But I will say that I’d like to see Peyton Manning not play this week.”

After the Jets finally did clinch a playoff spot by routing Cincinnati the following week, Ryan, their rookie head coach, created a postseason itinerary for his players that included the Super Bowl in Miami followed by a parade two days later.

He might be onto something.

Maybe this week he’ll predict the Jets’ opponent in the Super Bowl.

“We believed the whole time, the whole year, when it probably wasn’t the popular choice,” Ryan said. “We don’t have to apologize to anyone.”

The Chargers let New York hang around long enough, and the Jets finally got out of their own way, becoming the only road team to win in the divisional round.

After Philip Rivers scored on a 1-yard sneak with 2:14 left to pull the Chargers within three, the Jets recovered the onside kick.

Facing a fourth-and-1 from the 29 with 1:09 left, the Jets called timeout. Ryan decided to go for it and Thomas Jones bulled through the Chargers’ line for 2 yards.

Sanchez pumped his fist and pointed his hand forward in the first-down signal.

On the sideline, Ryan lifted much smaller offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer off the ground in a bear hug.

The Chargers (13-4) not only saw their 11-game winning streak end, but suffered yet another playoff meltdown after earning the AFC’s No. 2 seed.

“You’d like to play your best games in January in games like this, and certainly, for whatever reason, we did not do that today,” Chargers coach Norv Turner said.

Sanchez, playing in his native Southern California, went from looking like the rookie that he is to a guy who has now has two straight playoff wins on the road. He was intercepted by Quentin Jammer midway through the third quarter, but the Jets got the ball back on an interception when the ball ricocheted off Vincent Jackson and into the hands of cornerback Darrelle Revis as both were sprawled on the ground.

The Jets weren’t able to capitalize on that pickoff, but Rivers’ second interception was costly. On second-and-9 from his 5, Rivers underthrew Antonio Gates, who hadn’t even turned around, with safety Jim Leonhard intercepting and returning it to the 16.

On third down, Sanchez rolled right and threw to Keller, who shed linebacker Tim Dobbins in the back corner of the end zone and made a sprawling 2-yard catch that put the Jets ahead 10-7.

Sanchez and the rest of the Jets ran over to congratulate Keller, then the rookie QB kept running to the bench, stopping once to celebrate with a teammate.

The Jets turned to their top-ranked running game on their next drive, and Greene, a third-round pick from Iowa, broke his long scoring run up the middle, running over safety Eric Weddle in the process.

“Once I got to the secondary, I had one tackle to break and I did, and it was off to the end zone,” Greene said. “A lot of people didn’t know about me, but they know about the Jets.”

Greene rushed for 135 yards and a TD in last week’s playoff win against Cincinnati.

San Diego’s All-Pro kicker Nate Kaeding missed three field goals. He was wide left from 36 yards on San Diego’s second possession and was short from 57 yards as the first-half clock expired. With the Chargers trailing by 10 with 4:38 to go, he was wide right from 40.

Ryan pumped his fist and smiled after Kaeding’s third miss.

The last time these teams met in the playoffs, after the 2004 season, the rookie Kaeding was wide right from 40 yards on a wet field in overtime. The Jets moved down the field and won it 20-17 on Doug Brien’s 28-yard field goal.

The first half was a defensive struggle, although the Chargers at least moved the ball against New York, which came in with the league’s top-ranked defense.

New York had four straight three-and-outs, failing to pick up a first down until its fifth drive, midway through the second quarter.

By then, the Chargers were ahead 7-0 on Rivers’ 13-yard TD pass to third-string tight end Kris Wilson in the back of the end zone. San Diego’s Pro Bowl tight end, Antonio Gates, made a spectacular, one-handed catch for 23 yards as Rivers was going down. The drive was also aided by a pass interference call against Jets cornerback Lito Sheppard.

Peyton Manning finished 30 of 44 for 246 yards with 2 TD's and 1 INT.

//

INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning beat the Ravens and buried a myth.

In his first game since winning an unprecedented fourth NFL MVP award, Manning threw for two touchdowns Saturday night in the Indianapolis Colts’ 20-3 victory [...]]]> Associated Press

Peyton Manning finished 30 of 44 for 246 yards with 2 TD's and 1 INT.

INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning beat the Ravens and buried a myth.

In his first game since winning an unprecedented fourth NFL MVP award, Manning threw for two touchdowns Saturday night in the Indianapolis Colts’ 20-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The decisive win came after a playoff bye, something that had been a plague, not a respite, for Manning and his teammates.

“I don’t think it matters if you’ve had a bye or you’re playing home or away,” Manning said when asked about Indy’s previous 0-3 record after sitting out the wild-card round. “This myth that you can’t win after a bye week, I haven’t believed in it.”

The Colts (15-2) will host the AFC championship next Sunday against San Diego or the New York Jets.

“Whoever it is, we know it’s going to be a challenge and we have to step it up another notch,” coach Jim Caldwell said.

Manning and the other Colts starters got lots of rest when the rookie coach sat them for long portions of the final two regular-season games, both losses after they had opened 14-0. Then they had the bye, a reward for owning the league’s best record.

But previously a curse for the Colts.

“There’s no question how the guys used the off week,” Manning said. “We kind of called it preparation week. I thought we had good preparation coming into this game, thought we came out sharp and kind of set the tempo from the get-go.”

Not quite from the outset. When the Ravens (10-8), who routed New England in the wild-card round, marched 87 yards for an early field goal, the All-Pro quarterback’s sour face told it all.

By halftime, the scoreboard told it all: Indianapolis 17, Baltimore 3.

It didn’t get any tighter, even though Ed Reed got his fourth career interception of Manning in the third quarter. Reed was stripped of the ball by a sprinting Pierre Garcon, the intended receiver, at the end of a 38-yard return. Dallas Clark recovered, and Reed was robbed of another pick five plays later because of a pass interference call on Corey Ivy.

The Ravens’ vaunted defense was self-destructing, and Manning gave it another push toward the offseason with a 14-play drive to Matt Stover’s 33-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

Directing a patient offense, Manning finished 30-of-44 for 246 yards. He showed the Ravens there’s a price to pay for keeping the ball out of his hands: Once he gets it, he doesn’t give it back — at least not until he’s gotten the Colts plenty of points and a playoff win.

The last time the Colts hosted the conference title game was three years ago, when they won their only Super Bowl representing Indianapolis. That championship victory came in Miami, the same site as next month’s Super Bowl.

Indy’s 18th-ranked defense gave Manning lots of help, shutting down a running game that romped for 234 yards against the Patriots. Even when Ray Rice, who had 159 yards rushing a week ago, burst through for a 20-yard gain, Raheem Brock forced a fumble and the Colts recovered. It was Indy’s third of four takeaways.

“Our defense did a tremendous job,” Caldwell said. “Anytime you hold that offense the way they run the ball, and Ray Rice, under 100 yards, our defense did indeed play hard and well, tackled well, and they were opportunistic. It was a heck of a performance.”

Baltimore, with rookie Joe Flacco at quarterback, won two road games last January to get to the AFC championship game, where it lost to Pittsburgh. Flacco struggled in this postseason and was intercepted twice Saturday night.

Stover, the career scoring leader for Baltimore who joined Indianapolis in October, also had a 44-yard field goal. Billy Cundiff had a 25-yarder for the Ravens’ only points.

The Colts have won eight straight against Baltimore, a city they once called home. The last time they were so stingy in a playoff game was as the Baltimore Colts 39 years ago, a 20-3 win over Cleveland — where the Ravens once lived as the original Browns.

“The better team won today,” Rice admitted. “You shouldn’t be afraid to say that.”

The Ravens threw a wrinkle at Indianapolis on their first possession, using a no-huddle offense for portions of the 15-play drive that kept Manning on the sideline for nearly 8 minutes. What Baltimore didn’t do was finish the drive with a touchdown, and it was fortunate to get Cundiff’s field goal after Antoine Bethea dropped an interception at the goal line.

Manning must have been jealous of that series, because he soon led the Colts on an 8-minute, 75-yarder, converting a fourth-and-4 pass to Joseph Addai along the way. His pinpoint throw to Collie in the left corner of the end zone — the kind of pass that has become a Manning trademark — made it 10-3.

Then it was back to the quick pace the Colts are known for. After Baltimore’s three-and-out, Manning needed just 1:23 to make it 17-3. The drive was aided by Ray Lewis’ personal foul on a helmet-to-helmet hit against Collie in the end zone, and Wayne then leaned in with a 3-yard pass with 3 seconds remaining in the half.

Following its impressive first possession, Baltimore had the ball for less than 4 minutes in the opening half, gaining 9 yards in the second period.

“We didn’t play well enough to win this game against this team on this day,” coach John Harbaugh said. “They played defense the way they always do, they just played it well.”

Yet again, the San Diego Chargers are surging entering the postseason. They shouldn’t be surprised to find a top defense in their way.

Winners of 11 straight and fresh off a bye, the Chargers find themselves in familiar circumstances in the playoffs as they host the New York Jets and their top-ranked [...]]]> STATS LLC

Yet again, the San Diego Chargers are surging entering the postseason. They shouldn’t be surprised to find a top defense in their way.

Winners of 11 straight and fresh off a bye, the Chargers find themselves in familiar circumstances in the playoffs as they host the New York Jets and their top-ranked defense in a divisional matchup Sunday afternoon.

San Diego (13-3) is the NFL’s hottest team, riding a streak that gave it a fourth straight AFC West title and the conference’s No. 2 seed. With Philip Rivers firmly established as one of the league’s top quarterbacks, the Chargers have a good opportunity to return to the Super Bowl for the first time in 15 seasons.

However, this isn’t new territory for San Diego. The Chargers won 10 straight entering the postseason in 2006 only to lose at home to New England in the divisional round, then won eight in a row before losing to the Patriots again the following season in the conference title game.

Last year, San Diego’s four-game winning streak got it into the playoffs and it upset Indianapolis in a wild-card matchup before losing to Pittsburgh.

“We’ve been there before. We’ve been the popular pick to win the Super Bowl before and haven’t,” linebacker Shawne Merriman said. “Our whole mentality this year is completely different, in not looking too far ahead down the road. That’s been the big key this year altogether, is not looking too far down the road.”

Each of San Diego’s last three playoff defeats have been against teams that were ranked in the top five in scoring defense, and it’s 1-1 in such games this season. The Jets (10-7) are No. 1 in that category (14.8 points per game), first in total defense (252.3 yards a contest) and feeling confident following a 24-14 wild-card victory over Cincinnati last Saturday.

“I think they’re the best defense we’re going to play,” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “They do a lot of things well. But they’ve got the winning formula. They run the ball well and they play good defense. You look at teams throughout history that have done well, those are the teams that had that winning formula.”

Tomlinson and San Diego have to hope experience will serve them well as they try to avoid the mistakes made by what were younger teams. This was Tomlinson’s first sub-1,000-yard season, though, and the Chargers posted an NFL-low 3.3 yards per rush.

Still, Tomlinson has remained effective inside the 20-yard line, scoring 12 touchdowns. That, however, may be more of a product of the Chargers’ potent passing game keeping defenses honest in the red zone.

Rivers ranked third in the NFL with a 104.4 passer rating, completing 65.2 percent of his attempts for 4,254 yards and 28 TDs while getting picked off nine times. He relies on a trio of big targets in Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd and Antonio Gates.

Jackson, San Diego’s top wide receiver, will likely be matched up with Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis for most of this game. Revis, who finished second in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting to Green Bay’s Charles Woodson, routinely plays man-to-man and has shut down several of the league’s top receivers.

Revis and New York’s defense complement the NFL’s top-ranked rushing attack. The Jets average 172.2 yards and had 171 against a strong Bengals run defense.

Thomas Jones ran for 1,402 yards and 14 TDs in the regular season for New York, but a banged-up knee limited him to 34 yards on 15 carries against the Bengals. Rookie Shonn Greene got most of the carries, running for 135 yards.

San Diego has had trouble defending the run, allowing 117.8 yards per game. No team, though, has held the Jets to fewer yards on the ground over the past two seasons than the Chargers have.

San Diego limited New York to 41 yards rushing in a 49-29 win at home Sept. 22, 2008. Jones was held to 37 yards on 10 carries.

If the Chargers find a way to shut down the run again, they’ll put rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez in a position the Jets might not be comfortable with. Sanchez threw 20 interceptions during the regular season, but he’s been turnover-free over the last three weeks as New York has relied even more on its running game.

Against Cincinnati, Sanchez had perhaps the best game of his career, going 12 for 15 for 182 yards and a touchdown for a passer rating of 139.4, taking advantage of a defense that loaded up against the run.

“We’ve improved as an offense … taking care of the football and making the right decisions, which is sometimes a conservative one and just playing smart,” Sanchez said. “I have plenty of room to improve. I haven’t arrived. I’ve still got a long way to go.”

With Sanchez taking care of the ball and the running game showing no signs of slowing down, New York believes it will be tough to beat regardless of the opponent.

“We’ve won six out of seven and we feel pretty good about ourselves,” coach Rex Ryan said. “San Diego has won 11 straight, so both teams are carrying a lot of momentum going into this game. It’s just going to be who can out-execute the other.”

New York won its only playoff matchup with San Diego in overtime, 20-17 on the road in a wild-card game Jan. 8, 2005.

The Indianapolis Colts are beginning the postseason not having played a meaningful game in nearly a month. Many fans, and critics, feel that shouldn’t be the case.

Now everyone gets to see if the Colts’ controversial strategy pays off, though only a three-game winning streak starting Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens [...]]]> STATS LLC

The Indianapolis Colts are beginning the postseason not having played a meaningful game in nearly a month. Many fans, and critics, feel that shouldn’t be the case.

Now everyone gets to see if the Colts’ controversial strategy pays off, though only a three-game winning streak starting Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens can truly confirm they did the right thing by ignoring the significance of a perfect regular season.

“The ultimate goal is to get to the Super Bowl and win,” defensive end Raheem Brock said. “Sixteen and oh sounds great, but I don’t really care what the record is because no one remembers that. Unless, of course, you’re 16-0.”

Indianapolis locked up the AFC’s No. 1 seed in Week 15, so team management decided it would pull Peyton Manning and many other starters during the following week’s game even with the Colts riding a 14-0 record. They took a lead on the New York Jets before the backups entered, going scoreless in the final 25 minutes of a 29-15 defeat.

The decision drew the ire of many Indianapolis fans among others, though the team held firm it was the right move because staying healthy for a title run meant so much more than going 16-0. The Colts (14-2) haven’t played a game that’s mattered since beating Jacksonville on Dec. 17 to extend their league-record regular-season win streak to 23.

They could be rusty after back-to-back losses and a week off, plus they’re 0-3 in the playoffs following first-round byes since 1999. This year’s path appears similar to the one they had in the 2005 season, when they started 13-0 but lost two of three before falling to Pittsburgh in the divisional round.

The next season, Indianapolis won its only trip to the Super Bowl in the Manning era, a run that included a 15-6 divisional win over Baltimore. The Colts have since lost back-to-back playoff openers to San Diego and they could face the Chargers again in next Sunday’s AFC championship game. To get that far, they must defeat a Ravens team which clearly has the momentum edge.

“Every year, we think we’ve got to win it and we feel as a group that we probably should have won more Super Bowls in this decade,” defensive end Dwight Freeney said. “There’s probably more pressure with that than what’s being said about 16-0.”

The Ravens (10-7) won three of their final four regular-season games to qualify for the playoffs and opened with a rousing 33-14 victory at New England on Sunday.

They also have the benefit of going through a familiar run last year, when they closed the regular season 5-1 to claim a wild-card berth before winning at Miami and Tennessee to reach the AFC title game.

“Our younger guys can draw on the experience of the guys who have been there before, but it’s a different year and a different team and this is a new week,” coach John Harbaugh said.

Six days after holding Tom Brady to 154 yards and intercepting three of his passes, the Ravens take on Manning, named league MVP for a record fourth time after throwing for 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns.

“We got the two best quarterbacks in the game back to back. We definitely have to bring our ‘A’ game,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said.

Manning has gotten the better of fellow former Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis and the Baltimore defense. His 97.5 passer rating in nine games against the Ravens is slightly better than his career average, and he’s led Indianapolis to wins in all seven meetings since 2001.

“Nobody’s better than Peyton as far as recognizing defenses and making great decisions in terms of where to go with the ball and those kinds of things, probably the best that there’s ever been at that,” Harbaugh said.

Manning has been sacked just three times over the last six meetings and not once when the teams played Nov. 22, when he was 22 of 31 for 299 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a 17-15 victory.

Matt Stover had the winning field goal with 7:02 to play, and the longtime former Raven has been given the kicking duties over Adam Vinatieri, possibly the best clutch kicker in NFL history. Stover has made nine of 11 field goals since signing with Indianapolis in October, and coach Jim Caldwell feels Vinatieri is not fully recovered from midseason knee surgery.

“They are two great ones,” said Caldwell, who is keeping Vinatieri on the active roster. “You know it’s a very unique situation, but that’s kind of the way it is right now.”

While the Colts’ offense comes mostly from the aerial attack, the Ravens’ ground game has been dominant while letting banged-up quarterback Joe Flacco play more of a game manager’s role. Baltimore has averaged 5.5 yards per carry in the last five weeks while rushing for 1,081 yards.

Ray Rice has 623 of those yards and his 83-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage set the tone against the Patriots.

However, Baltimore has failed to rush for 100 yards in five straight versus Indianapolis while getting held to 3.3 per carry. Rice has 26 attempts for 94 yards in two meetings.

The Ravens have committed 25 turnovers during their seven-game skid in the series and they’ve never won in four trips to Indianapolis, falling 31-3 last season. Manning threw three touchdown passes without an interception while Flacco was picked off three times.

Flacco, 15 of 29 for 136 yards over the last two weeks, is bothered by a hip injury that had him limping in practice this week.

“I feel really good. The most important thing is I woke up Monday feeling better than I did Sunday,” Flacco said. “I feel like it’s all starting to work itself out.”

he Cincinnati Bengals say that wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has been added to the AFC's Pro Bowl team.

CINCINNATI — Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was named today to the American Football Conference team for the Pro Bowl, scheduled on Jan. 31 in South Florida at Land Shark Stadium.

The news was announced this [...]]]> CSN Staff

he Cincinnati Bengals say that wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has been added to the AFC's Pro Bowl team.

CINCINNATI — Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was named today to the American Football Conference team for the Pro Bowl, scheduled on Jan. 31 in South Florida at Land Shark Stadium.

The news was announced this morning on Bengals.com.

This will be the sixth Pro Bowl selection for Ochocinco in his nine past NFL seasons, tying him with CB Lemar Parrish for the second-most nods in Bengals history. Tackle Anthony Muñoz is first with 11.

Ochocinco replaces injured Wes Welker of New England, who was selected to the team in original voting in December. Ochocinco was a second alternate in the original voting. The first alternate, Randy Moss of New England, also will not participate due to an injury.

As a ninth-year pro, Ochocinco led the Bengals with 72 receptions, 1,047 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Ochocinco talked about the news on his Twitter account this morning, saying “I’ve just been informed by the Bengals that I will be in this years pro bowl, its cool to make it again but I’d trade it to be in the playoffs.”