Luck leads Colts over Broncos, 24-13

DENVER — Andrew Luck cleared another hurdle on his rise to the top by leading his team past the star quarterback he replaced.

Luck led the Indianapolis Colts over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 24-13 on Sunday in an AFC divisional playoff.

“Wins are sweet no matter what,” Luck said. “I don’t get caught up in storylines or the emotions of being an underdog or a favorite. We go out to get the win, guys prepare to win and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”

He completed 27 of 43 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns in outdueling Manning, who starred in Indianapolis for 14 years and led the team to a Super Bowl title before being released in 2012 after missing the season before with a neck injury.

“To come on the road against a very good team in this round of the playoffs and get a win, that’s awesome,” Luck said.

The Colts made Luck the top overall pick and Manning then signed with Denver as a free agent but his quest for a return trip to the Super Bowl with the Broncos fell short, stopped by his former team and his own erratic play.

“Their defense played well and forced us into some bad execution, but I thought we had some chances,” Manning said. “I thought I could have played better.”

Indianapolis (13-5) advanced to next Sunday’s AFC championship at New England, a 35-31 winner over Baltimore in Saturday’s divisional playoff. It is the Colts’ first trip to the conference championship since 2009, when Manning was their quarterback.

Manning, who played through a thigh injury during the final weeks of the season, was nowhere near his past championship form, however. He finished 26 of 46 for 211 yards passing but was notably off target, especially on mid-range and deep passes.

“Any time you lose a game, you always look to some incompletions, and throws you’d like to have back,” Manning said. “So I’m disappointed right now is what I am.”

Asked whether planned to play next season, Manning was evasive.

“I guess I can’t just give that simple answer,” Manning said. “I’m processing it. So, I can’t say that. I could not say that.”

Luck was intercepted twice but kept the Colts’ offense on the move, threading the ball to his receivers in tight spaces and fending off pressure and keeping plays alive with his nimble footwork.

“It’s difficult playing against a guy like that who can beat you with his feet and his arms and who is strong in the pocket,” Broncos nose tackle Terrance Knighton said. “He gets the ball out quick and at times he was taking his time in the pocket. They came up with a good game plan. We were able to pick him off twice, but we weren’t able to do enough to impact their game on the scoreboard.”

Up by four at the half, the Colts stretched their lead to 21-10 midway through the third quarter. Luck kept the drive alive by dropping a third-down pass among three defenders 32 yards downfield into the hands of tight end Coby Fleener. He finished the march off with a 15-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks.

Later in the third, the Colts benefited from a replay review that found the ground caused what had been initially ruled a fumble by punt returner Josh Cribbs. But the Broncos did cut the deficit to 21-13 on Connor Barth’s second field goal. The 41-yarder with 13:50 remaining was set up by safety Rahim Moore’s interception of Luck.

But Luck answered by leading a clock-killing drive lasting more than eight minutes, capped by Adam Vinatieri’s 30-yard field goal, gaining a two-score separation with 4:06 left to play.

And that was just too much to overcome for the heavily favored Broncos, who lost at home for the first time this season.

“It was just special to see all our guys celebrate,” said Colts running back Daniel Herron, who had a combined 95 yards rushing and receiving. “(The Broncos) have a lot of great players and great coaches. To walk out of here with a win is huge.”

The Colts took a 14-10 halftime lead, scoring twice around a fumble by Manning.

On a 3rd-and-12 play, linebacker Jonathan Newsome blew past left tackle Ryan Clady and knocked the ball from Manning’s arm as he got ready to pass. Linebacker Jerrell Freeman recovered the ball for the Colts at the Denver 41-yard line.

Luck completed a 22-yard pass to wide receiver Donte Moncrief to advance the ball to the 8, and after a third-down defensive holding call on cornerback Aqib Talib gave the Colts a fresh set of downs inside the 5, Luck hooked up with tight end Dwayne Allen from 3 yards out for the touchdown.

Dan Herron’s 6-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter evened the score at 7-all, offsetting Manning’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas culminating the Broncos’ first offensive series.

Barth kicked a 45-yard field goal for Denver with 2 seconds left in the second quarter, a score that was set up when an ill-advised deep throw by Luck was picked off by cornerback Bradley Roby.