Indianapolis at New England.(AFC championship game matchup)(Colts vs Patriots)

When the Colts have the ball: It won't be easy to run on the Patriots. NT Ted Washington, an outstanding run stuffer, often draws two to three blockers, allowing New England's interior linebackers to fill holes without having to fight through much traffic. New England's disciplined outside linebackers will make it difficult for Edgerrin James to turn the corner. Even if they struggle to run early, the Colts must stay committed to the rushing game. If James gets 20-plus carries, New England's safeties will have to play closer to the line, opening up play-action opportunities for Peyton Manning. The Patriots will press WR Marvin Harrison with CB Ty Law in an effort to disrupt his timing with Manning, then give Law help over the top at times with rookie FS Eugene Wilson. Wilson must not bite on pump fakes or get caught peeking into the backfield.

Key matchup: Indianapolis WR Reggie Wayne vs. New England CB Tyrone Poole. The Patriots play a lot of "man free" coverage, with SS Rodney Harrison up near the line and Wilson back deep. Wilson often will be rolled to Harrison's side, putting a lot of pressure on Poole to hold up one-on-one against Wayne, who can use his size (60, 203) to shield the undersized Poole (5-8, 188) from the ball. Poole rarely is caught out of position and is fast enough to prevent Wayne from getting behind him. Wayne, however, has the body control to make acrobatic plays and can elevate over Poole for jump balls downfield.

When the Patriots have the ball: This matchup favors the Patriots because OB Tom Brady has more depth in his receiving unit (Troy Brown, Deion Branch, Bethel Johnson, David Givens, Dedric Ward) than the Colts have at cornerback (Walt Harris, Nick Harper, David Macklin). Expect the Pats to spread out the Colts with numerous multiple-receiver sets. Indianapolis' ...