Colts through to playoffs - it's Superbowl time again

The Colts clinched a playoff place with their 8th straight win at a balmy andwarm Jacksonville Municipal Stadium last night. It wasn't a pretty game but Peyton Manning passed for 364 yards (hitting his first 17 passes for 219 yards) and three touchdowns and Keiwan Ratliff returned an interception 35 yards for the touchdown that beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-24.

The Colts are the first team in NFL history to win 11 or more games in six consecutive seasons and make Tony Dungy the first coach since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to take 10 successive teams to the playoffs.

Eight weeks ago, the Colts were 3-4 and tickets were available for their new stadium. Now they are 11-4, winners of eight straight, their tickets are the hottest and they are the wild card no one wants to face.

The Colts are in the playoffs for a league-best ninth time in 10 years. Dungy's 10-year run includes 1999-2001 with Tampa Bay and all seven of his seasons with the Colts, 2002-08.

Superbowl 43 - Tampa Bay - the countdown has begun .....