The Patriots are great at home, the Colts are great on the road. A great defense, a great offense. What gives?
By ROGER MILLS
Published January 18, 2004
FOXBORO, Mass. - They have won eight games on the road this season. They have set staggering offensive marks. They have justified their quarterback's co-MVP award and provided some measure of redemption for their coach.
Indianapolis enters today's AFC title game having not punted in the postseason.
Not once!
But in the icebox known as Gillette Stadium, where temperatures of 32 these days constitute a heat wave, the Colts face more than weather so brutal and fans so crazed that the combination redefines homefield advantage.
They face the No.1 team in the NFL. They face an opponent who hasn't lost in 13 games and is 9-0 at home.
Mostly, the Colts face a team oozing with confidence, one that beat them 38-34 on Nov.30 to stake its claim as best in the game.
So if Tony Dungy is to become the first African-American coach in the Super Bowl, and if quarterback Peyton Manning is to shred the reputation he has for not winning the big game, the Colts are going to have to win one more on the road.
They like their chances.
"It's tough to win on the road, and I think you have to go in very focused," Dungy said. "We have the ability to do that. I think our guys understand that (when) playing on the road, you have to minimize your mistakes.
The Colts (14-4) believe their years of experience together as an offense and the manner with which they run their no-huddle makes road noise and bitter cold a nonfactor.
"There were very, very tough conditions (Jan. 10) and both teams played well," Dungy said of New England's 17-14 win over Tennessee. "Minimum turnovers, both teams were able to throw the ball. I think it's going to be better conditions than last week, so we feel we should be fine and we feel like we function in it pretty well."
Still, it will be no easy task. While the Patriots (15-2) may not have a flashy offense or a defense that resonates with well-known names, the AFC East division winners are a most consistent and gritty team.
They find ways to move the ball on offense and give very little on defense. At home they make few mistakes. They were called last weekend for only two penalties.
"The toughest thing about New England is that they are always so solid," Manning said. "You don't ever see someone running scotfree because somebody made a mistake. They always seem to be in the right position."
The Colts have firsthand knowledge. After trailing 24-10 at the half Nov. 30, they made a tantalizing comeback and appeared set to win with first and goal at the Patriots 2 in the final minute.
But two Edgerrin James runs netted 1 yard, and Manning threw an incomplete pass. On fourth down Patriots linebacker Willie McGinest read Manning's hand-signal play shift to James and stuffed the runner for a 2-yard loss.
"I'm sure that's a motivating factor for them, right there," Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. "(They are saying), "We were 1 yard from beating these guys, so let's get that yard.' So we're over here saying, "You're still not going to get it.' That's what's going to be decided (today)."
But New England isn't about to pat itself on the back. It allowed 370 yards of offense, three turnovers and 24 second-half points.
"Indy doesn't care that we won 13 straight, that we have homefield advantage, they don't care that we won the division," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "The team presented us with a whole lot of challenges when we played the first time out, and we're going to need to try to go out and correct some of those things. We're going to need to play better this week than we did against Tennessee, or it'll be the last game of the year."
So, how much more classic could this get? The dome team vs. the home team. The hot offense against a stone-cold defense. The NFL's best at home vs. its best on the road. The quarterback taken with the No.1 overall pick vs. one taken 199th overall.
"In a game like this it usually comes down to who makes more plays," Manning said. "The thing about it is that usually it's three or four plays in a game that ultimately decide the outcome, and you never know when they will come.
"Coach Dungy is always saying you never know when that play is going to be your play to make. It could be first quarter, it could be third. Obviously everyone wants to see the dramatic fourth-quarter play. But the one thing we've always talked about is being consistent every single play, being good on first and second down, so you can be good on third down. There will be a lot of playmakers on the field, that's for sure."
Said Bruschi: "As good as they have been on the road, we have been just as good at home, and something has to give (today). Those questions will be answered."
