Unfamiliar names help Colts beat Pats in AFC title game

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dan Klecko, Jeff Saturday, Joseph Addai, Marlin Jackson. Who are these guys? They're the guys who helped Peyton Manning put Indianapolis in the Super Bowl for the first time.

With Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne held in check by New England, Manning and the Colts used some Belichick-esque creativity -- and a little blind luck -- to finally get past their nemesis with a 38-34 victory in the AFC Championship Game Sunday night.

They'll face Chicago in two weeks in Miami, and as much as people wanted to make previous postseason failures about Manning, Sunday's game demonstrated it takes more than an MVP quarterback to win.

"It just shows that this ship didn't sink or sail with one guy," Saturday said. "Every guy has to show up and do their job."

Certainly, it was not all by design, but it sure was effective.

Indianapolis had a backup defensive tackle (Klecko) score one touchdown, a Pro Bowl center (Saturday) score another and even Manning scored on a rare quarterback sneak that forced people to take a second look at the numbers.

Addai, a running back who got lost in the shuffle of a strong rookie class, broke through to give Indy the only lead it needed with a minute left in the game and Jackson sealed it by picking off Tom Brady on the final series.

No, it didn't necessarily follow the plan offensive coordinator Tom Moore dreamed up when he designed this offense around a two-time MVP quarterback and two Pro Bowl receivers. But so what?

The Colts won their biggest home game of the Indianapolis era by using everything at their disposal, including good fortune.

Saturday scored by jumping on a fumble near the goal line early in the fourth quarter and tied the score at 28, setting up one of the most exciting finishes in conference championship game history. The teams combined for three field goals and a touchdown in the final 13:24, a pace that played to the Colts' strengths.

"Things are sometimes unexplainable," Saturday said. "I was blocking my guy to the left, and he (Dominic Rhodes) spins back and the ball is loose. It hit me in the foot and I just laid down and got it."

It was typical of a game that had as many twists and turns as a street race.

The Patriots scored two unconventional touchdowns, too. Left guard Logan Mankins produced the first score much the way Saturday did, recovering Laurence Maroney's fumble in the end zone. Cornerback Asante Samuel's interception and 39-yard return made it 21-3 with 9:25 left in the half.