Colts should be at full gallop when Broncos come to town

INDIANAPOLIS -- Peyton Manning will replace the headset with a helmet, Edgerrin James expects a full workload, and Marvin Harrison should be catching passes well into the second half.

The Denver Broncos will see a very different Indianapolis Colts team Sunday.

"I don't think last week has anything to do with this week," Manning said. "It was just a game where we didn't make enough plays."

The reason might have been that the Broncos weren't playing the "real" Colts.

Just one week after the Broncos (10-6) clinched the AFC's final wild-card spot with a 33-14 victory over the Colts, the two teams meet again under rather different circumstances.

Instead of snowy Denver, this game will be played in the controlled setting of the RCA Dome. And instead of the regular season, this is the playoffs, with the winner moving on to a game against New England or Pittsburgh.

The Colts (12-4) will look like a team that has added some ringers. Knowing they were likely to face a rematch with Denver, Colts coach Tony Dungy opted for a vanilla game plan and a makeshift lineup.

Manning and James departed after three plays, Harrison stuck around for the first half only, and tight end Marcus Pollard sat out with a sprained ankle. The Colts also started three rookies in the secondary, held out middle linebacker Rob Morris (concussion) and limited the playing time of their top pass rusher, Dwight Freeney.

"It was tough, something we wrestled with," Dungy said. "It goes against your nature and your players' nature and it's difficult to play in and coach."

Quarterback Jake Plummer took advantage of the Colts' inexperienced secondary by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. Reuben Droughns and Tatum Bell each topped 75 yards rushing, and the Broncos dominated the watered-down Colts in the second half.

With the stakes higher this week, even the Broncos don't expect a repeat.

"From watching film, we saw them play more man coverage than they usually do," Plummer said. "Whatever they do, we have to adjust to it. Obviously, we have to be ready for anything."

So how much did the Colts really hide?