Colts in control with ground game

By R ICK STROUD
Published February 5, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT [AP photo] Tony Dungy is dunked after his Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears in a rainy Super Bowl XLI on Sunday night in Miami. Related coverage Gary Shelton: Top of the World John Romano: A legacy completed, Manning gets his title View photos Complete coverage

MIAMI - Peyton Manning lifted the Lombardi Trophy as flashbulbs bounced off the silver football raised high above his head.

The only surprise is that he didn't turn and hand it off to one of the Colts' running backs.

In a game that will be remembered for when the Indianapolis quarterback took his place among the game's greatest passers, it was the running backs who led the way in a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI.

Running back Dominic Rhodes rushed for 113 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown and rookie Joseph Addai added 77 yards on 19 attempts against a Bears defense considered one of the best in the NFL.

Addai led the Colts with 10 catches for 66 yards and softened up the Bears before Rhodes finished them off.

But Manning, who passed for 247 yards and a touchdown, was named the game's MVP.

"What makes it work is that we're two unselfish guys," Rhodes said. "Defenses can't look to just stop one style, and that makes it harder for them."

The slashing Addai became the first rookie running back to start a Super Bowl since Bobby Humphrey in 1990. He was the workhorse early and led all ballcarriers with 143 yards from scrimmage.

"Our run game in the second half, Dominic really gave us a big lift," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "He and Joseph Addai did a good job of going up against a good defense. But more than anything, I think it was our team just fighting together all the way through."

Manning led the Colts on a 13-play, 56-yard march to start the second half that ended with Adam Vinatieri's 24-yard field goal. The drive took 7:34 and wore down the Bears' defense.

Addai, a rookie from Louisiana State, replaced All-Pro running back Edgerrin James, who signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals in March. The 5-foot-11, 214-pound Addai touched the ball on nine of the 13 plays to start the third quarter.

"I was telling Peyton, 'Look, these short passes are open, and we can take advantage of that,' " Addai said. "So he's been sticking with that, and he understood that he didn't have to do it by himself. He understood he had other players around him to make it happen, too."

On a rain-soaked field that most thought would benefit the Bears, a Colts team that plays indoors was more effective on the wet turf Sunday.

"It wasn't what you'd expect coming down here to Miami and playing in the rain," Manning said. "That was as bad a weather as far as rain that we've played in since the playoff game in New England two years ago. But that's why you're glad to have an old veteran center like Jeff Saturday. I can't tell you how many snaps we've taken together. They had a couple exchange problems.

"Obviously, the passing game wasn't going to be as sharp with the weather, and it certainly became a factor down there in the red zone when you had points and you wanted to be sure you didn't have a tipped ball or slick ball, so we had a couple of runs down there even on third down."

Rhodes, who split time all season in the backfield with Addai, did most of his damage in the second half with 87 of his 113 yards. That included a 36-yard run in the third quarter to set up one of three Vinatieri field goals that gave the Colts a 22-14 lead.

"We just try to take advantage of what they give us. That's what we've been doing all year," Addai said. "It's just going out there and believing in each other that we can get the job done."

The Colts' ability to run the ball enabled them to hold a huge advantage in time of possession - 38:04 to 21:56 - while keeping their defense fresh.

"They blocked for us, and Manning put us in some great plays," said Rhodes, who will become a free agent. "We knew it would be a running football game, and I'm glad we got it done."

Rick Stroud can be reached at stroud@sptimes.com.

[Last modified February 5, 2007, 01:58:15]