INDIANAPOLIS - A comeback, a drive, a legacy. And, yes - finally - Peyton Manning gets his Super Bowl trip. So does Tony Dungy.
Football's most prolific quarterback put on a show for the ages Sunday, rallying the Indianapolis Colts from 18 points down and driving them 80 yards for the winning score in a wildly entertaining 38-34 victory over the New England Patriots.
In his nine years in the league, Manning has never played in a game like this AFC championship contest. He threw for 349 yards and one touchdown and brought his team back from a 21-3 deficit, the biggest comeback in conference title-game history.
Joseph Addai capped Manning's late drive with the winning score, a 3-yard run with 1 minute left to help the Colts (15-4) complete the rally and send Dungy to his first Super Bowl - and a very special one.
The Colts coach will face the Chicago Bears and his good friend Lovie Smith in Miami in two weeks. Together they are the first black coaches to make the Super Bowl in its 41 years.
"It means a lot," Dungy said. "I'm very proud to be representing African-Americans. I'm very proud of Lovie."
Manning, meantime, wouldn't concede that a monster weight was lifted off his shoulders.
"I don't get into monkeys and vindication," he said. "I don't play that card. I know how hard I worked this season, I know how hard I worked this week. It's always nice when you can take the hard work, put it to use and come away with a win."
But after Indy's last touchdown, Manning was on the sideline, his head down - he couldn't bear to watch. New England's Tom Brady threw an interception to Marlin Jackson. One kneel down later and Manning ripped off his helmet to celebrate.
"I said a little prayer on that last drive," Manning said. "I don't know if you're supposed to pray for stuff like that, but I said a little prayer."
Not only was it a win for Manning, the All-Pro, All-Everything son of Archie, it was a riveting, back-and-forth showcase of two of the NFL's best teams, best quarterbacks, and yet another example of why football is America's favorite sport.
"It could still be, 'Can he win a Super Bowl?' and then if he does, everyone will shut up," Dungy said. "But Peyton's a great player, and anyone who doesn't know that doesn't know much about football."
Manning conceded during the week that he could hear the clock ticking as his career entered its prime.
His teammates protected him, saying the quarterback shouldn't shoulder all the burden for the franchise's inability to break through.
The Colts piled on 455 yards and scored on six of their final eight drives, not counting the one where Manning kneeled down.
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