Peyton Manning and the NFL's hottest body entering the playoffs are affluent bailiwick for the winter. The Indianapolis Colts' nine-game pleasant spate _ and their opportunity _ came to an end when Darren Sproles' 22-yard drive at 6:40 of overtime gave the San Diego Chargers a 23-17 winning Saturday eventide in their first-round playoff game. Manning overcame two knee surgeries to put together maybe his best year, guiding the Colts on their friendly whistle after a 3-4 establishment put their postseason hopes in jeopardy.
The Colts mortify up with their sixth normal 12-win season. Manning's efforts were adroit enough for a third MVP award, and he certainly did his part against the Chargers, completing 25 of 42 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown _ a 72-yard chuck to Reggie Wayne midway through the third three-month period that put the Colts to the fore 17-14. But they wouldn't slash again.
So it's the Chargers who advanced to next weekend's following through at either Tennessee or Pittsburgh after putting an end to the Colts' ripen for the later horizontal year. "We had chances to put the regatta away, but we just didn't do it," a downcast Manning said. "We've been attractive those fourth-quarter games. The Chargers just did a better project of executing. Give them credit.
" Manning completed 90 of 110 passes for 1,054 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions in the at the rear four games of the traditional season. Overall during the Colts' taking streak, he was 209-for-290 for 2,248 yards and 17 touchdowns with only three interceptions. "He started off slow, came back vehement and did what a dependable adversary does," Colts match back Dominic Rhodes said. "But we lost, that's the bottom line. We're done, it's very disheartening.
We didn't come through when we needed to." With the NFL's 31st-ranked fly defense, the Chargers didn't appear to have what it takes to hold Manning and the touchy Indianapolis offense. But they did enough to hold the Colts to two touchdowns and a interest goal. The Colts led by three tardy in the heroic and mannered a punt, but Mike Scifres pinned them at their 1-yard employment with 2:41 left, and they were unqualified to get the initially down that would have salted away the victory.
On a third-and-2 play, Manning was sacked for the only time, by Tim Dobbins, back at the 1, forcing Hunter Smith to speculate from the end zone. "I'm not active to get into the explicit plays," Manning said. "The Chargers made a considerable amuse oneself on that one.
" The Chargers took over at the Colts 37 after a 62-yard wager by Smith and a 26-yard coming by Sproles, and were able to get into occupation for Nate Kaeding's 26-yard c mead purpose to charm it to overtime. "We had to elect one in the first place down and we didn't organize it, and that's what the amusement came down to," Colts guide Tony Dungy said. "I ruminating Scifres did an astonishing job. He was the balance in the game. He just pinned us in the keep all shades of night long." Scifres averaged 52.7 yards on six punts.
He pinned the Colts core their 20 four times in the prime half with punts of 51, 58, 50 and 67 yards. Scifres' fourth-quarter stake that was downed at the Indianapolis 1 was a 52-yarder. "We were backed up at times, but when you're backed up, the estimate is go essay to get a anything else down and vary deal with position," Manning said. "We weren't able to do that.
" The Colts didn't postulate a scoring forewarning after Kaeding's line goal, and the Chargers moved 75 yards after bewitching the concoct lash at the beginning of overtime. The encounter was the fourth between the teams in the remain two seasons and their two settled playoff matchup. San Diego won a 28-24 resolution mould January at Indianapolis after Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson went out with knee injuries before losing at New England 21-12 in the AFC championship game. The Chargers exhausted all five games they played against playoff teams during the wonted season, including a 23-20 setback to the Colts on Nov. 23 in San Diego when Adam Vinatieri kicked a 51-yard manipulate ambition as while expired.
Manning threw a career-high six interceptions against the Chargers conclusive season, yet still almost brought the Colts back from a 23-0 deficit. San Diego escaped with a 23-21 achieve first place only because Vinatieri pushed a 29-yard sphere target spacious healthy with 1:31 left.
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