PEYTON MANNING has made history, but now he must do so again. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback set a single-season record for touchdown passes last month and was voted the most valuable player in the NFL, but on Sunday he must beat the team he cannot defeat, in a stadium where he cannot win, if his season is to end in a first Super Bowl appearance.

The Colts visit the New England Patriots in the true heavyweight collision of this weekend’s divisional play-offs. It is a repeat of last season’s AFC Championship game, which the Patriots won 24-14 on their way to being crowned Super Bowl champions for the second time in three seasons. They also beat the Colts 27-24 in the opening game of this season.

Since then the Colts have gone from strength to strength, becoming the league’s top points-scorers, but the Patriots always seem able to bring Manning and the Colts back to earth with a thud.

The Patriots have won the past five meetings between the teams and last season’s loss, in which Manning was intercepted four times, was one of the worst of the nine that he has suffered in 11 games against Sunday’s opponents. However, he is not dwelling on past failures in Foxboro, where he has known nothing but defeat.

“It doesn’t have a whole lot to do with what’s going to happen in this game,” he said. “Our record up there is not good, but as far as what happens on Sunday, whoever executes the best is probably going to win. No question, last year was a disappointing ending, but I’m proud of the way we bounced back this season.”

Only one team have conceded fewer points than the Patriots this season, although injuries have struck in that vaunted defence: Ty Law and Tyrone Poole, their best cornerbacks, are injured and Richard Seymour, the All-Pro defensive end, is doubtful. As a result, the Patriots claim the Colts are favourites, though few regard that as anything but kidology.

The Patriots are happy to be out of the spotlight while most commentators laud Manning and the Colts’ other offensive weapons such as Edgerrin James, the running back, and Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Brandon Stokley, wide receivers who have each logged more than 1,000 yards this season. Such is the attention they have received that one could be forgiven for forgetting that the Patriots have the superior record this season and set a league record of 21 consecutive wins in October.

The home teams in the other three games should progress by repeating the regular-season results in each fixture. The Pittsburgh Steelers expect to beat the New York Jets, who have never won in Pittsburgh, and the Atlanta Falcons are likely to outrun the St Louis Rams.

The Philadelphia Eagles will still be without Terrell Owens, the wide receiver, for the visit of the Minnesota Vikings, but Randy Moss, the Vikings’ receiver, is also doubtful, which effectively would negate any advantage the visiting team might feel they had. Moss was fined $10,000 (about £5,300) by the NFL yesterday for pretending to moon in front of Green Bay Packers fans after scoring a touchdown on Sunday.

PLAY-OFFS

DIVISIONAL ROUND: Tomorrow: Pittsburgh v New York Jets (Sky Sports Xtra, from 9.30pm); Atlanta v St Louis (Sky Sports Xtra, from 1am). Sunday: Philadelphia v Minnesota (Sky Sports Xtra, from 6.15pm); New England v Indianapolis (Sky Sports Xtra, from 9.30pm).

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Sunday, January 23.

SUPER BOWL XXXIX: Sunday, February 6 (Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville).