INDIANAPOLIS - For one day, this day, the Indianapolis Colts promised themselves they would celebrate.

They would think of nothing except their first-round, 49-24 annihilation of the Denver Broncos, their hyper-physical response to charges by the Broncos they were “soft” and celebrate an offensive performance that set all kinds of records.

Except they couldn’t.

Next week, the Colts take a road trip to Waterloo — though most people call it Foxboro, Mass., an undistinguished little strip of nowhere nestled halfway between Boston and Providence, R.I.

Time after time, year after year, the Colts and Peyton Manning have gone to Foxboro and have had their hearts broken and seasons ended. Next week isn’t just a divisional playoff football game. For the Colts, who have serious designs on a Super Bowl, next weeks looms as an exorcism.

“I just want to keep winning,” Manning said after the game. “The whole New England thing, that’s what everybody will talk about and it’s an opportunity.

“I played like an absolute dog in that game last year, no ifs, ands or buts about it, so I’d like to play better this time around.”

How many times will Manning hear the questions? How many times will Manning listen to the statistics? You can start almost anywhere.

• Manning, who played both in old Foxboro Stadium and at the new Gillette Stadium, has never won in either place.
• Manning is 2-9 against New England, most of those games against Patriots teams coached by noted defensive guru, Bill Belichick.
• The last time the Colts won in New England was 1995, and tight end Marcus Pollard is the only current Colt to play in that game.
• Manning threw four interceptions in the Colts’ AFC Championship Game loss last year, including three to Ty Law, and four sacks.
• Manning and his offense tossed away this season’s opener in Foxboro with three turnovers in the red zone, including a blown blocking assignment that forced Manning to take a sack. The lost yardage left Mike Vanderjagt in a position to miss a long field goal.

Get the idea?

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Pedro Martinez was talking about baseball and the New York Yankees when he called the Yanks “my daddy.” But the Colts could say the very same thing about the Patriots, who keep getting in the way of Indy’s dreams.

Of course, the world knows what the Red Sox did last year, so all things are possible.

“We just have to play better,” Colts wide receiver Brandon Stokley said. “They’ve out-played us the last couple of times and that’s the bottom line. For us to get to the Super Bowl, that is what our goal is right now, and not just necessarily beating the Patriots. This year is a totally different year and we are looking forward to next week.”

In some way, next week’s Patriots will look like the Patriots who’ve torn out the Colts’ hearts and dominated the NFL in recent years. They still have Belichick. They still have defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel. They still have offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, at least for the time being. Most important, they still have the best big-game quarterback of his time, the unflappable Tom Brady.

They also upgraded at running back, adding Corey Dillon to an already potent attack.

But the Patriots’ secondary is being held together with Scotch tape and airplane glue. Ty Law, Manning’s long-time nemesis, won’t play this postseason. Tyrone Poole, a former Colt who resuscitated his career in New England, is also out of commission. These days, the Patriots have been reduced to using wide receiver Troy Brown as a defensive back  in nickel situations.
The Colts won’t say it, won’t even allow themselves to think it, but ... if they don’t get it done this time, they may never beat the Patriots in a big game.

This time, the Colts figure to have another advantage; the rules regarding illegal contact have changed. After last year’s AFC title game, Colts president Bill Polian complained long and hard about the way New England’s defenders held the Colts receivers beyond the five-yard mark. The NFL agreed, and began having its officials enforce that rule.

The result, not only for the Colts but for the entire league, has been a lot more passing and a lot more offense.

But, oh yeah, the Colts aren’t thinking about the Patriots yet.

Much.

“Gonna enjoy this one for a few days,” said Colts running back Edgerrin James. “We don’t have to think about them (the Patriots) until Wednesday.”

If the Colts are disinclined to think about the opportunity in front of them, they can take enormous pride in the way they reacted to the Broncos. A year ago, the Colts blew out the Broncos in precisely the same playoff situation. Denver’s reaction was to re-tool its secondary, and specifically to trade for cornerback Champ Bailey. Even more, the Colts receivers’ ears were burning from Denver-based talk that they were soft and unwilling to go across the middle.

Denver safety John Lynch, who was fined $75,000 and put on double-secret probation for last week’s hit on Colts tight end Dallas Clark, said he was sending a message.

The Colts responded with a loud message of their own, taking a 35-3 halftime lead before cruising to an easy, almost laughable victory.

Now, though, comes their daddy and the New England Patriots. Recent history has not been kind to the Colts. But all they ever wanted was one more chance.

“The way I feel now,” said Colts receiver Reggie Wayne, “I’d like to pack up and fly to New England right now.”

No. They’re not thinking about the Patriots.