Colts cause more Baltimore heartbreak

Was it just me, or did Tony Dungy look like he really enjoyed the fact the Colts beat the Ravens with defense? He mentioned talking with Booger McFarland -- his old Tampa Bay player -- about how the 15-6 win today was "old school" for them. The defense swarmed Jamal Lewis, swarmed Steve McNair and generally won the physical side of the game. The Ravens did all the pregame talking, the Colts delivered when it counted. Defense first? Not a bad idea for playoff ball.

Here's how I saw the biggest win of the Dungy era so far:

Passing game: Manning will be criticized for his numbers (15 of 30, 170 yards, two picks, a 39.6 passer rating), but he was facing the most complex, effective defense in the NFL. Give the man credit for threading the needle on the pass to Dallas Clark that sealed the deal. He was rocked, but never lost his nerve. He's bound to have a better game next week. Isn't he?

Running game: Give it up for Dominic Rhodes. He came in and handled the toughest work of the night, finishing off the clinching drive with pure power running. It's tough to run on the Ravens, but the Colts did put up 100 yards.

Pass defense: Big picks by Nick Harper and Antoine Bethea. Good pressure by Robert Mathis (pictured) and Dwight Freeney. Bob Sanders was Bob Sanders, which means he was everywhere, pass or run.

Run defense: Held the Ravens to 83 yards, the second straight game of 100 or less for the reborn Colts defense. I would call the transformation dramatic, but that undersells it.

Special teams: Adam Vinatieri delivers the goods with five FGs, and shows he has a little something extra on his side, with the bouncer off the crossbars. Destiny?

Coaching: Dungy threw that first challenge flag like he meant it. And he did. Harper's hit on Todd Heap was ruled a fumble and the Colts were on their way. Dungy believed in this defense when he was practically the only one. We're all starting to come around now.

While it's gratifying for the Colts to reach the AFC title game regardless of opponent, how sweet would it be to knock off the Patriots at home to reach the Super Bowl?