Colts down Broncos to advance in NFL playoffs

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts derailed Denver's bid for Super Bowl redemption, ousting the Broncos from the NFL playoffs 24-13.
The Broncos were humbled 43-8 by the Seattle Seahawks in last season's Super Bowl.
While the Seahawks have reached the National Football Conference title game to remain in the running for a return to the NFL's championship showcase, it's the Colts who will take on the New England Patriots next Sunday for the American Football Conference crown and spot in the February 1 Super Bowl in suburban Phoenix, Arizona.
Luck, who took over from current Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning in Indianapolis when the Colts parted ways with the veteran, on Sunday threw for 265 yards and two-touchdowns and piloted a decisive drive that took 8:14 off the clock in the fourth quarter to book the Colts' first trip to the conference championship since 2009.
Indianapolis's defense limited Denver to 288 yards -- 115 fewer than their season average. The Broncos had won all eight of the regular-season home games by an average of almost 15 points.
Manning, a superstar quarterback and future Hall of Famer whose post-season resume is nevertheless uneven, fell to 11-13 in the playoffs.
He threw a touchdown pass on Denver's opening possession, but looked tense and tentative much of the night as he completed barely half of his attempts (26 of 46) and threw for just 211 yards.
"All in all, you get into playoff football, you have to play your 'A' game, and we didn't have it today," Broncos coach John Fox said. "You win and lose as a team, and I'll leave it at that."
Luck won't have much time to savor the success, with a huge challenge awaiting next week in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Source: AFP