For the second time in four years, the Colts are going to the Super Bowl. The Colts won the AFC Championship on Sunday in a fashion that has become their modus operandi. They went down early and then put together a furious comeback to bury the Jets, 30-17. Normally a team would feel comfortable with an 11-point lead when they have the best defense in the league, especially considering the adage that defense wins championships - but not against Peyton Manning. The Colts completely overwhelmed the vaunted Jets defense in the second half, leaving the Jets offense in a precarious position with a rookie quarterback at the helm. The Colts domination after intermission vaulted them into what should be an epic matchup between two of the best quarterbacks in the game as Manning will face off against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7. But again, before we get ahead of ourselves and begin to talk about what should be a classic, here are the three most noteworthy things from the AFC Championship clincher.

1. The Colts outrushed the Jets. Yes, you read that correctly. The NFL’s worst rushing team during the regular season gained more yards on the ground than the best rushing team in the league. The credit for this somewhat shocking achievement goes to both sides of the ball. The offensive line actually created some holes for Joseph Addai and he maxed out every yard he could get. Addai ran tough and was breaking tackles all afternoon, the best I’ve seen Addai run all year and he was a big reason the Colts are moving on to Miami. But you also have to give credit to the Indianapolis defense as the unit held the Jets to 86 yards rushing (almost a hundred yards below their season average). One of the biggest factors was Shonn Greene left the game with a rib injury in the second half and never returned. He had been extremely explosive in the Jets' first two playoff games and was averaging a little over four yards a carry before going down. But the Indianapolis defense didn’t let him or Thomas Jones break any of their signature long runs and held the running game in check. It was an impressive performance from the Colts defense and a shocking revelation from their offense.


2. Garcon goes bananas. It’s pretty crazy to watch the progression and maturation of Pierre Garcon. A sixth-round draft pick in 2008 from tiny Mt. Union College in Ohio, Garcon has blown up this year and become one of the most reliable receivers on the Colts. Manning has tremendous trust in him and he has yet to let him down, coming up at big moments throughout the season and now the playoffs. Last week, he had the play of the game when he chased down Ed Reed and poked the ball he had just intercepted out of his grasp and right back into Dallas Clark’s hands. In the AFC Championship game, he recorded 11 catches for 151 yards and scored a touchdown on a fade pattern in the end zone. With Revis and the rest of the secondary focusing their attention on Reggie Wayne and Clark, Garcon was left alone to exploit the weaker members of the Jets defense and he didn’t disappoint. At a time of devastation for his fellow Haitians, they have something that they can be proud of right now and in two weeks maybe he can lift their spirits once again.

3. The tide turned right before the half. The Jets had to have loved the way the game was going for the first 28 minutes. They held an 11-point lead and even though the Colts were moving up and down the field on them, they held them to only two field goals. This was just the type of game the Jets thrive in and they couldn’t have asked for a better scenario going into the half. But the tide turned when the Colts got the ball back with 2:11 remaining in the first half. After holding down the Colts prolific offense for the most part, the Jets defense was suddenly without an answer. Manning took over at his own 20-yard line and in four plays led the Colts down the field and capped the drive with a 16-yard strike to Austin Collie, who also had a 46-yarder on the second play of the drive. From that moment on the Colts rolled and the Jets began to fold and there was nothing they could do about it. The Colts are on their way to Miami and the Jets are scheduling tee times. --- BRANDON KOPCEUCH.