There'll be no dome of silence Sunday

INDIANAPOLIS -- This time the Colts are getting the Patriots on their turf -- literally -- in the AFC Championship game and playing inside on the fake stuff Sunday could make a difference.

Call it dome-field advantage. Indianapolis has not lost inside the climate-controlled confines of the RCA Dome all season (9-0, including the playoffs) and has shined indoors (9-1, including the playoffs) and on synthetic surfaces this season (12-1, including the playoffs).

"There's no place like home. That's going to be true for this game," said Colts cornerback Jason David. "When our crowd gets going, offenses have a hard time just hearing the quarterback and trying to concentrate on their checks. It will help us out a lot."

Tight end Dallas Clark said home-field advantage is just that, an advantage.

"I think it helps out, but we also know as players that it's not the ultimate factor," said Clark. "We just went on the road to Baltimore and won in a tough environment. We know it's going to raise havoc for New England, but we have to give them a reason to have a little havoc. We have to do our part to make it tough for them.

"The crowd is definitely going to help us with motivation and momentum, but we definitely have to give them something to cheer about and get loud. If we do our part, it's going to be a hostile environment, but they've been in the situation before, so it's nothing that we're banking on. They'll be able to handle it very well."

Coach Tony Dungy bristled at the suggestion the Colts are built to play indoors or on artificial surfaces.

"We don't think we're a dome team," he said. "We don't look at ourselves that way. We just think of ourselves as a team that shows up and plays every week. We like to play at home. We like the noise factor, all of those things help you at home, but we never looked at ourselves as being tailored to play inside."

Anthony McFarland has been a big addition for the Colts. The 6-foot, 300-pound defensive tackle, who played three seasons for Dungy in Tampa Bay, was acquired from the Buccaneers Oct. 22 in exchange for a second-round pick. He has plugged the void left by Corey Simon, who was sidelined by an undisclosed illness, and Montae Reagor, who is out for the season after being injured in a car accident.

"[McFarland's] definitely a presence in the middle," said safety Bob Sanders. "He's a smart player. He knows exactly what's going on. He's a leader and he's been around and he's played with some of the best in the league. He's been on a great defense before, so he knows how it is. He knows how to lead us and keep us on the right path. He's just a good guy to be around. I'm excited that he's with us now and he's helped us a lot."

Dungy said he feels good for McFarland, who got a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in 2002 but was unable to play during their championship run. "Now, being a part of it, I know how much it means to him," said Dungy.

McFarland has one of the most unflattering nicknames in sports -- "Booger."

"I got it when I was 2 years old. My mom gave it to me," said McFarland. "I was just a bad kid. I was just a real bad kid. I've had it this long, so you got to love it."

Former Patriot Dan Klecko has reprised his role as a short-yardage and goal-line fullback with the Colts. Klecko was used as a blocker during the Colts' 13-play, 7-minute-16-second game-sealing drive Saturday against the Ravens and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass in the regular-season finale.

"Dan's done a good job back there. He did a good job for New England in that role and he's done a good job for us," said Dungy.

Klecko blew out his knee in 2004 while running a pass route as a fullback for the Patriots. Klecko, who played three seasons in New England, was among the Patriots' final cuts coming out of training camp.

"It just didn't work out. No hard breakup, just one of those things, but to go from one winner to another, I've been blessed," he said.

There were no changes to the Colts' injury report, as six players -- right tackle Ryan Diem (shoulder), linebacker Cato June (concussion), left guard Ryan Lilja (knee), wide receiver Ricky Proehl (hamstring), Sanders (knee), and cornerback Nick Harper (ankle) -- are still questionable . . . Sanders made a Freudian slip when asked about Tom Brady's 12-1 playoff record. "12-2, you can't ask for a better record," said Sanders before correcting himself . . . Dungy on the acting career of Peyton Manning, who is in a series of MasterCard commercials: "He's a funny guy, and I think you get to see that side of him in those commercials and for that reason I think it's good. We see him here as this serious guy, this driven guy, but he enjoys life."

John Powers of the Globe staff contributed to his report.