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Colts chatter
A few comments from the Colts' side after their victory in the AFC Championship game:
Coach Tony Dungy
"Obviously, there is a lot of emotion in that locker room. I could not be more proud of our guys. We had to do it the hard way. We had to through a great champion, and we got down 18 points to them and that's not easy, but at halftime I just felt an energy in our locker room. ... Our team went the hard way the whole year, but they hung tough, and I'm so proud of them. I'm excited for our whole city, our organization, taking our team to the Super Bowl. Couldn't for a better way to end this part of our year."
Dungy
(on Manning winning it with a Tom Brady-style drive)
"Tom Brady is a great quarterback. Peyton is a great quarterback. Peyton has brought us back a lot of times. We haven't had this opportunity and had a chance to do it on this stage before. There was no doubt in anybody's mind that we were going to take that football and score. I think we all felt good that Peyton was going to drive us, and I think it's great for him to get to the Super Bowl with a drive like that. It probable won't shut anybody up until we win one, still be 'Well, you can't win the Super Bowl.' Peyton Manning is a great player. Anybody who doesn't know that doesn't know much about football."
Quarterback Peyton Manning
"I really appreciated it, Tedy Bruschi came up, Kevin Faulk, and Tom [Brady] just wished me luck. I just apprecoated the class those guys demonstrated. They've beaten us and today we beat them."
On advancing to the Super Bowl
"I don't get into monkeys [off the back] and vindication. I know how hard I've worked this season. I know how hard I worked this week to get ready for these guys, and it's always nice when you come away with a win. I thought this game was about two really good football teams. I can remember the disappointment three years ago when we lost up there to New England in the AFC Championship."
Kicker Adam Vinatieri
"Playing against them has a little extra emotion. This is one of the happier wins I've ever had. The key to this game was the heart on this team -- offense, defense, special teams. We never gave up and just kept on grinding, kicking, scratching and finding a way to get it done."
