ANDREW LUCK spoiled another Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning showdown.
It’s the Indianapolis Colts at the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game next Sunday. The Green Bay Packers visit the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC title game earlier in the day.
Luck threw for 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Colts over Manning and the Broncos 24-13, sending Indianapolis (13-5) to their first conference championship game since Manning led them past the New York Jets in January 2010.
“I think we’re playing good team ball,” Luck said. “It’s a great night, so proud to be part of this Colts victory.”
Luck, who replaced Manning in Indianapolis in 2012, enters Championship Sunday as the only one of the four starting quarterbacks without a Super Bowl ring.
Brady and Manning went head-to-head in three previous AFC championship games, including last year’s won by the Broncos. But Manning fell to 11-13 in the postseason following one of his worst playoff performances ever.
New England (13-4) opened as 7 1/2-point favourites against the Colts. The Patriots beat the Colts 42-20 at Indianapolis in Week 11 as Jonas Gray ran for a franchise-record four TDs.
In the NFC, the Packers (13-4) and Seahawks (13-4) are set for a rematch of this season’s NFL opener. The Seahawks opened as seven-point favourites.