Pats defeat Colts in a super contest
INDIANAPOLIS - If Super Bowl XLII is as good as Super Bowl XLI 1/2, the NFL and Fox TV will be very happy.
Tom Brady added to his cleft-chinned legend as he led his 9-0 Patriots from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to a 24-20 win yesterday over the wilted, 7-1 Colts in what was subjectively billed as the best regular-season game in league history; certainly, objectively, no two undefeated teams ever met this late in a season.
Associated Press
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady barks out signals in second quarter of victory.
In what could be a preview to the AFC Championship Game, Brady was Brady, engineering his 25th fourth-quarter, game-winning drive after cruising through the season's first 8 weeks. Peyton Manning, without top weapon Marvin Harrison, was less than adequate as he watched Brady's touchdown total reach 33, just 16 shy of Manning's record set in 2004.
Randy Moss was transcendent, with nine catches for 145 yards and a touchdown for the Pats.
There was more than the marquee could fit: A gripping fourth quarter, more than 100 yards rushing and receiving from Colts running back Joseph Addai, two spectacular interceptions of Brady in key moments.
Nobody asked for his money back.
"It was a heavyweight fight," said Donté Stallworth, whose 33-yard catch set up the go-ahead score. A Pats newcomer from the Eagles, Stallworth marveled at Brady's coolness in the clutch. "You know you're never out of the game with that guy at quarterback."
"It would've been fun to watch," said Pats wideout Wes Welker, who caught a 3-yard touchdown pass to cut the Colts' lead to three midway through the fourth. "It was even funner winning it."
Brady lived on the hands of Moss for most of the afternoon, but when he finally gave other receivers a chance, they produced, too.
In the penultimate touchdown drive, the Patriots borrowed Indy's no-huddle scheme with 9 minutes, 42 seconds to play.
"I think it may have tired them out a little bit," Brady said.
Brady fired to Moss on six straight plays, including a 55-yarder on which Moss drew a pass-interference penalty, to get the Pats to the Colts' 3.
"That was really the play of the game," said Colts coach Tony Dungy, whose game plan centered on stopping Moss.
They did at the end of the drive; two more forces to Moss, including an interference pentalty on Moss, and Brady went elsewhere.
He went to Welker - first, for 10 yards, then for the touchdown.
"We made some adjustments," said Welker, who set up the drive with a 26-yard kickoff return.
They stayed with the adjustments.
The Colts, nursing a 20-17 lead, imploded on their next possession – a possession on which they could have put the game away. With just under 8 minutes to play they converted one first down then gave up a holding penalty, a false start and a sack, forcing them to punt.
"You've got to clamp down and win it at that point," Dungy admitted.
You at least have to contain the punt. Welker returned it 23 yards, to the Patriots' 49.
