By Howard Ulman
The Associated Press

FOXBORO, Mass. - Antowain Smith is going back to Houston on a roll.

New England's running back had been inconsistent all season but ran for 100 yards on 22 carries, outgaining Edgerrin James, in the Patriots' 24-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday's AFC championship game.

"It was something that we needed today," Smith said of a running attack that produced 112 yards.

Now he and the Patriots are headed to Houston, the city where he played college ball, for the Super Bowl against Carolina.

"He said he wanted to get 100 on his way back to Houston. That's a goal for us every week," Patriots tackle Matt Light said. "When that big dude gets rolling, good things happen."

By controlling the ball, the Patriots could keep Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning on the sideline.

Smith had gained more than 60 yards just once in the first 14 games of the season but has done that in all four games since then.

James, who ran for 125 yards a week earlier in a 38-31 win over Kansas City, gained 78 yards on 19 carries against the Patriots as the game-long deficit forced the Colts to pass more.

"I'm never going to say we should have done this or we should have done that," James said. "The bottom line is I am here to do whatever they ask me to do."

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REVIEW REVISITED: Referee Walt Coleman from Tom Brady's "tuck rule" game two years ago was in charge again Sunday when another controversial call against the New England quarterback was reviewed.

This one also went his way.

Officials ruled that he had fumbled the ball away with the Patriots leading Indianapolis 21-14 with 1:20 left in Sunday's win over the Colts.

But a video review showed Brady's knee had hit the ground before he lost the ball, depriving the Colts of a chance to start a potential tying drive at about the New England 20.

Adam Vinatieri followed with a 33-yard field goal that finished the scoring.

On Jan. 19, 2002, New England trailed Oakland 13-10 with 1:43 left in the fourth quarter when Brady lost the ball after going back to pass. Raiders linebacker Greg Biekert pounced on it, and the officials ruled it a fumble because Brady appeared to be trying to bring the ball back in when he lost control.

After watching the replay, Coleman announced that it was an incomplete pass and the ball belonged to the Patriots. New England won that game, then beat Pittsburgh before defeating St. Louis in the Super Bowl.

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WOODY SIDELINED: An injury that ended guard Damien Woody's season broke a streak of 13 games in which the Patriots started the same five interior offensive linemen. But they didn't seem to miss last season's Pro Bowl center as New England outgained Indianapolis on the ground, 112 yards to 98.

The line kept Brady from being sacked as Russ Hochstein started in Woody's place.

Woody was placed on injured reserve Friday, meaning he would miss the rest of the season. He tore the medial collateral ligament in his right knee on the first play in New England's 17-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 10 but played intermittently.

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PUNTING PROBLEM: The Colts were about to attempt their first punt in their three playoff games on their third possession Sunday but Hunter Smith kicked the ball the wrong way.

With the ball at the Indianapolis 35, Justin Snow's long snap sailed over Smith's head. Smith ran after it, reached it at about the 5 and kicked it out of the end zone for a safety that gave the Patriots a 15-0 lead with 4:08 left in the half.

It was the first safety scored by the Patriots in the 22 playoff games in their history.

Smith finally got off a punt midway through the third quarter and it was a good one. It covered 55 yards on a fourth-and-9 from the Indianapolis 30.

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FAST START: The Patriots scored on their first possession for the fifth consecutive game and haven't trailed in their last seven games.

As usual, Brady was the key player as he completed six of eight passes for 51 yards on the drive, capped by a 7-yard scoring pass to David Givens. On the 13-play drive, Givens caught four passes for 26 yards.

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STOKLEY PLAYS: Colts wide receiver Brandon Stokley had three catches in a game the team wasn't sure he would play in a few days ago.

On Tuesday, his infant son was hospitalized with an undisclosed illness, and on Friday, Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said he didn't know whether Stokley would play against the Patriots.

But Stokley did, finishing with 22 yards receiving.

"We had a good season. We just didn't reach our final goal," he said.

Stokley had three touchdown catches in the Colts' two playoff victories. He missed practice Wednesday, returned for about half of the two-hour practice Thursday afternoon and worked out with his teammates Friday.

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