By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

INDIANAPOLIS - Peyton Manning found his place in playoff history Sunday in the Colts' 41-10 victory against Denver.

With no interceptions, five touchdowns, 377 yards and just four incomplete passes, Manning posted just the fourth perfect passer rating of 158.3 in playoff history.

He joins:

• Dallas' Don Meredith, against Cleveland, 1967 NFL divisional playoff.

• Pittsburgh's Terry Bradshaw, against Baltimore, 1976 AFC division playoff.

• Seattle's Dave Krieg, against Denver, 1983 AFC wild-card playoff.

Manning also joined five other quarterbacks with five touchdown passes in a playoff game. The record is six, shared by San Francisco's Steve Young in Super Bowl XXIX against San Diego; and Oakland's Daryle Lamonica in an AFC divisional playoff game against Houston in 1969.

REDEMPTION: Colts coach Tony Dungy upped his playoff record to 3-5. He was 2-4 with Tampa Bay and is 1-1 with the Colts in the postseason. He had lost four playoff games in a row - three with the Buccaneers and one with the Colts to the Jets. The last three losses were by a combined 93-12.

TOUGH TIME: Broncos guard Dan Neil was penalized four times for 45 yards. He was called three times for holding and once for a chop block.

SHARPE WORDS: Denver tight end Shannon Sharpe lost for just the fifth time in 18 career playoff games and couldn't mask his displeasure.

"I'm totally embarrassed, considering what we put out there for the whole world to see," he said.

Sharpe is considering retirement after 14 years and three Super Bowl rings.

"You don't want to make a decision like that when your emotions are low," he said.

OUCH: Since winning 31-17 on Dec. 21 at Indianapolis, the Broncos lost two games by a combined score of 72-13. The Broncos lost their regular season finale 31-3 at Green Bay. The wild-card game was their third in a row on the road.

LONG TIME: The Jake Plummer touchdown pass to Rod Smith with 7:04 remaining in the game was the Broncos first in the playoffs since Super Bowl XXXIII on Jan. 31, 1999.

The Broncos lost a wild-card game at Baltimore after the 2000 season by a 21-3 score.

Quarterback John Elway had a 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl victory over Atlanta.

INACTIVE: Mike Doss, the Colts rookie safety from Ohio State, was inactive because of an ankle injury.

ELWAY CURSE: The Broncos have not won a playoff game without Elway at quarterback since Jan. 1, 1978, when they defeated Oakland in the AFC Championship Game.

ETC: Kickoff was delayed five minutes because of overtime in the NFC wild-card game, won 33-27 by Green Bay.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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