WASHINGTON, 15 January 2005 — Peyton Manning’s quest to cap a record-setting season with a Super Bowl victory takes him to Foxboro on Sunday, where his Indianapolis Colts succumbed in last season’s playoffs to eventual Super Bowl champs New England.
“I played like an absolute dog up there last year in the game, no ifs, ands or buts about it,” Manning said as he looked forward to Sunday’s second-round clash. “But all we could ask for is another opportunity, and we got that.”
That defeat in the American Conference (AFC) championship game wasn’t New England’s last win over Manning’s Colts, who fell 27-24 to the Patriots in their season opener.
In fact Manning, who earned National Football League Most Valuable Player honors this season as he surpassed Dan Marino’s single-season touchdown pass record with 49, has a 2-9 career record against New England.
But this time the Patriots will be without starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole.
In last year’s AFC championship game, Law covered Colts receiver Marvin Harrison most of the way and intercepted Manning three times. But Law suffered a broken left foot in an October 31 loss at Pittsburgh and was placed on injured reserve last week. Poole is also on injured reserve. “It is what it is, and we have to make the best of it,” New England coach Bill Belichick said of his injuries in the secondary. “But Peyton’s numbers and their offensive numbers say it all.” The Philadelphia Eagles, another team with sour memories of conference championships past, must try to get back to the National Conference (NFC) championship game without star receiver Terrell Owens.
The Eagles, who take on Minnesota in an NFC second-round clash today, have lost the last three NFC title games, including the last two at home. The acquisition of Owens to partner quarterback Donovan McNabb was designed to put them over the hump and into the Super Bowl.
Owens immediately clicked with McNabb, making the Eagles into an explosive offense as he had 77 catches for 1,200 yards and a team-record 14 touchdowns.
But McNabb lost his biggest threat in the passing game when Owens injured his right ankle in December.
He had surgery and may be able to return if the Eagles make the Super Bowl, which will be played on February 6.
Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield’s thinks Owens’s absence will slow the Eagles.
“It definitely hurts them,” Winfield said. “It’s like when (Randy) Moss went down for us. Terrell is a big-play guy, and he brought a lot of energy to the team. To lose a guy like that, the team takes a blow.”
Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper will have Moss at his disposal on Sunday as Minnesota try to build on the momentum they gained with a victory in Green Bay in the first round.
After backing their way into the playoffs, the Vikings looked like the team that won five of their first six games this season with a 31-17 victory at Lambeau Field, where Culpepper completed 19-of-29 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns.
“I would consider them a dangerous team,” Eagles linebacker Ike Reese said.
“Any time you can put up plays like they are capable of putting up, you’re dangerous. I said earlier that Daunte, outside of Peyton Manning, is the MVP of the league. What we have to do is keep the touchdowns off the board. We can’t let them score 35 points and get into a shootout with them.”
With their first-round win, the Vikings joined St. Louis in becoming the first 8-8 teams to win playoff games.
The Rams, who struggled much of the season, played their way into postseason by winning their final two games, then defeated Seattle in the first round.
Their reward is a trip to the Georgia Dome, where the Rams capped their 1999 campaign with a victory over Tennessee in Super Bowl 34.
On Saturday they’ll face the Atlanta Falcons and their electrifying quarterback Michael Vick, who passed for 2,313 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while rushing for 902 yards and three scores.
Vick has the Falcons back in the playoffs after leading them to the NFC South Division title in Jim Mora jnr’s first season as coach.
“He certainly is unique and probably as an athlete is the best in the league, there’s no question about that,” Rams coach Mike Martz said. “The first thing you do is you need to account for him.”
In Saturday’s AFC clash, the Steelers host the New York Jets, who have never won at Pittsburgh.
New York’s NFL rushing champion Curtis Martin is undaunted by that record.
Martin, who was born and starred in high school and college at Pittsburgh, is delighted to take on the Steelers on their home field.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers are my hometown team, so this is especially gratifying,” Martin said. “We earned our way here, and to be the best you have to beat the best.”
The Steelers, who set a franchise record with 14 straight wins, are in the second round for the eighth time under coach Bill Cowher. They last advanced to the AFC championship game following the 2001 season.
But this trip was unexpected with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback. The NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, Roethlisberger completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,621 yards and 17 touchdowns with 11 interceptions for a passer rating of 98.1. He was undefeated in 13 starts.
