Andrew Luck to the fore as Indianapolis Colts outgun Denver Broncos
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts derailed Denver’s bid for Super Bowl redemption on Sunday, ousting the Broncos from the NFL play-offs 24-13.
The Broncos were humbled 43-8 by the Seattle Seahawks in last season’s Super Bowl.
While the Seahawks have reached the National Football Conference title game to remain in the running for a return to the NFL’s championship showcase, it’s the Colts who will take on the New England Patriots on Sunday for the American Football Conference crown and spot in the February 1 Super Bowl in suburban Phoenix, Arizona.
Luck, who took over from current Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning in Indianapolis when the Colts parted ways with the veteran, threw for 265 yards and two-touchdowns and piloted a decisive drive that took 8:14 off the clock in the fourth quarter to book the Colts’ first trip to the conference championship since 2009.
All in all, you get into play-off football, you have to play your ‘A’ game, and we didn’t have it today
Indianapolis’ defence limited Denver to 288 yards – 115 fewer than their season average. The Broncos had won all eight of the regular-season home games by an average of almost 15 points.
Manning, a superstar quarterback and future Hall of Famer whose postseason resume is nevertheless uneven, fell to 11-13 in the play-offs.