Four-time MVP Peyton Manning threw three touchdown passes and the Indianapolis Colts rallied from an 11-point, first-half deficit to beat the New York Jets 30-17 Sunday in the AFC championship game.
The Colts (15-2) are now headed back to Miami for the second time in four years and their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history.
For the Colts, it was a measure of redemption.
A month ago when the Jets were last in town, Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell pulled his starters in the third quarter and gave up a chance at a perfect season to focus on a Super Bowl run.
This time, they got it right. Manning was on the field for the final play.
The Colts will face either New Orleans or Minnesota in two weeks.
Fans counted down the final seconds, streamers and confetti hung in the air, flash bulbs popped incessantly and when the official announcement was made, fans roared.
Manning finished 26 of 39 for 377 yards. He became the first player in league history with seven 300-yard postseason games. That broke a tie with Kurt Warner and Joe Montana.
The Jets' magical run ended with their first road loss in six games.
New York (11-8) built a 17-6 lead and took advantage of trick plays. But rookie Mark Sanchez and the Jets were shut out in the second half.
Caldwell became only the fifth rookie coach to reach the Super Bowl. Only two others – San Francisco's George Seifert and the Baltimore Colts' Don McCafferty – have won it.
But Caldwell does have Manning, who drove the Colts right through New York's No. 1 ranked defense with his uncanny precision.
Manning continually dropped passes right over the fingertips of defenders, and the Jets couldn't stop him.
After falling behind late in the first half, Manning finally responded. He took the Colts 80 yards in four plays, hooking up three straight times with rookie Austin Collie, including the 16-yard TD pass that made it 17-13 with 1:13 to go in the half.
Manning was just getting started.
The next time he got the ball, he took the Colts 57 yards in eight plays, connecting with Pierre Garcon in the back corner of the end zone to make it 20-17 with 8:03 left in the third quarter.
He sealed it midway through the fourth when Dallas Clark caught a 15-yard TD pass to make it 27-17.
