updated 4:29 p.m. ET Feb. 5, 2007

MIAMI - Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes split carries all season, so it was fitting they shared the credit Sunday.

With Addai playing the role of setup man and Rhodes emerging as the finisher, the Indianapolis Colts’ tag-team of running backs gave Peyton Manning enough balance in rainy Miami to finally bring home the Lombardi Trophy with a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl.

While Manning was selected the game’s MVP, Rhodes and Addai demonstrated how two running backs could carve out a niche — together.

“What makes it work is that we’re two unselfish guys,” said Rhodes, who can become an unrestricted free agent. “Defenses can’t look to just stop one style, and that makes it harder for them.”

Addai, who led all rookies in rushing during the regular season despite not starting a game, ran 19 times for 77 yards and softened up a defense considered one of the strongest in the league.

He also caught 10 passes, more than any of his more notable teammates or any rookie in a Super Bowl, for 66 yards. In fact, his reception total tied the Super Bowl record for a running back, established by Miami’s Tony Nathan in 1985.

Rhodes, who graciously accepted his new role as the backup in the playoffs, was even better. He ran 21 times for 113 yards and scored one touchdown — and the contrasting styles caused problems for Chicago.

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“He’s a cutting guy, and I’m more a downhill guy,” Rhodes said. “When you have a guy cutting and another guy who will hit you, it makes it hard for the defenses.”

After overpowering Kansas City, Baltimore and New England in their AFC playoff games, the Colts got a performance from their running backs Sunday will be forever etched into the memories of their fans.

Addai and Rhodes repeatedly ran into the middle of the wet field, challenging the Bears’ strength, and then quickly cut outside. They put Manning in position to convert third downs. They took care of the ball in the breezy, slippery conditions except once when Manning’s handoff slid right through Addai’s fingers.

And when they had to close it out, they did that, too.

It was no surprise to the rest of the Colts.

“All year they’ve been splitting carries because we wanted them healthy for the end of the season,” left tackle Tarik Glenn said. “They certainly did their job today.”

In fact, without Addai and Rhodes, the Colts might not have made it this far.

It was Addai’s 3-yard touchdown run against New England two weeks ago that earned them a ticket to Miami, and Rhodes’ solid play late that helped close out Baltimore.

But in Miami, Addai and Rhodes were on a different level.

Addai never seemed to struggle with making cuts on the soft turf, and Rhodes’ straight-ahead style was a perfect complement.

Together, they helped the Colts become the first dome team to win a Super Bowl in an outdoor stadium.

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“We just try to take advantage of what they give us. That’s what we’ve been doing all year,” Addai said. “It’s just going out there and believing in each other that we can get the job done for our teammates.”

While they proved all season that it could work, Sunday’s performance, on the grandest stage of all, demonstrated it to the world.

With a blend of short, powerful runs and an occasional big one, they forced Chicago’s linebackers closer to the line of scrimmage. The few times the Bears backed off, Addai and Rhodes made them pay.

Rhodes’ 36-yard dash late in the third quarter set up Adam Vinatieri’s field goal that gave the Colts a 22-14 lead.

And on their last possession, Manning didn’t even throw a pass. He simply handed the ball to Rhodes, who safely tucked it away in a turnover-plagued game to seal the win.

“They blocked for us, and he (Manning) put us in some great plays,” Rhodes said. “We knew it would be a running football game, and I’m glad we got it done.”

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