Colts' Manning not in MVP form

He didn't look like the quarterback who orchestrated two playoff wins.
FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) -- Interceptions, sacks, snow. Misery found Peyton Manning at the start and was there at the finish.
The quarterback looked like anything but the league's co-MVP in a 24-14 loss to New England in the AFC championship game.
He threw four interceptions, almost had a fifth, and was sacked four times, dropping him to 0-5 at New England.
The Colts' offense that had scored on all but four possessions in its two playoff victories managed just two scoring drives against the Patriots.
"We never quite found a rhythm," Manning said. "Every time you throw interceptions, that's the quarterback."
Poor numbers
He completed 23-of-47 passes for 237 yards and one touchdown, and his 35.5 passer rating was easily a season low. He didn't throw a touchdown pass until the game's waning moments on a field made slippery by light snow.
In the Colts' two playoff wins, Manning was brilliant. He threw eight touchdown passes with no interceptions and had a nearly perfect 156.9 passer rating in leading Indianapolis to a 41-10 win over Denver and a 38-31 win in Kansas City.
He wasn't the same Sunday.
"I made some bad throws and made some bad decisions," Manning said.
Initially, it looked as if he and the Colts would continue their high-scoring ways when he led them on a 68-yard march on their first possession. But Manning's day suddenly turned bad when Rodney Harrison picked off a third-down pass intended for Marcus Pollard in the end zone.
Then things got even worse.
On the Colts' next play, Manning tried to force the ball to Marvin Harrison. But Ty Law made the first of his three interceptions with a leaping, almost one-handed grab, and New England capitalized with a field goal to make it 13-0.
Dropped balls
Not all the mistakes were Manning's, though. He tried to get the Colts back in the game just before halftime, but Harrison fumbled it away.
After finally getting a touchdown on their first drive of the second half, Manning led the Colts on a 13-play, 67-yard drive to make it 21-14 with 2:27 to go when he hooked up with Pollard on a 7-yard TD pass.
But with a chance to force overtime, Manning threw four straight incomplete passes on one series. On the final series, New England fans mockingly chanted "M-V-P! M-V-P!" and the Colts turned the ball over on downs.
It was that kind of day.