Patriots shut down Colts

FOXBORO, Mass. - The New England Patriots kept the ball away from Peyton Manning most of the game and shut him down when he had it.

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Now the defending champions are one win from their third Super Bowl in four years, while the Colts' season ended with another flop in Foxboro.

The Patriots beat Indianapolis 20-3 on Sunday behind Corey Dillon's 144 yards rushing in his playoff debut and a defense that was missing three key players but not many tackles.

"I think our defense is what made this game successful," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "Three points to one of the best offenses in the history of football is incredible."

Manning is now 0-7 in Foxboro, where he lost his second straight playoff game - again in the snow. Brady is 7-0 in the postseason, and the Patriots are headed to Pittsburgh for next week's AFC title game.

Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest and coach Bill Belichick's defense spent the day frustrating Manning, who was 27-for-42 for 238 yards. In a stunning failure for the NFL's most prolific passing attack, the Colts managed only a field goal.

The conditions were just right for the Patriots' strategy: run the ball, throw short passes and watch the clock tick down, putting together their three most time-consuming drives of the season.

The cold temperatures couldn't have helped Indianapolis, which plays home games in the 72-degree warmth of the RCA Dome. It was the second year in a row the Colts were embarrassed in the Foxboro elements: In last year's AFC game, Manning threw four interceptions in a 24-14 loss.

Dillon rushed for 144 yards in his first NFL playoff game in his eight seasons. Brady threw for one touchdown, ran for another and completed 18 passes in 27 attempts for 144 yards.

New England (15-2) led 6-0 on Adam Vinatieri's field goals of 24 and 31 yards in the second quarter with the first one capping a 16-play, 78-yard march that lasted 9 minutes, 7 seconds.

The only points Indianapolis (13-5) scored came on Mike Vanderjagt's 23-yard field goal on the last play of the first half.

When Brady threw a 5-yard scoring pass to David Givens to cap a third-quarter drive that lasted 8:16, Manning had to make his remaining possessions count against the hard-hitting defense.

He didn't - and Brady followed with a drive 94-yard drive that ended with his 1-yard touchdown run.

Facing a 20-3 deficit with 7:10 left, even Manning couldn't do much.

The Patriots proved once again they could win without their best defenders. Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour was sidelined with a knee injury and starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole are on injured reserve.

They did it against a team that had the fifth highest scoring season in NFL history then led Denver 35-3 at halftime of a 49-24 divisional playoff win a week earlier in Indianapolis.

And the season ended for the Colts where it started. They lost the season opener there 27-24 when Vanderjagt missed a 48-yard field goal attempt in the final minute.