Dungy: Colts must tackle better

INDIANAPOLIS -- As well as the Indianapolis Colts have looked on offense through the first two rounds of playoffs, there's still a big concern about their inconsistent defense heading into the AFC championship game at New England.\nPeyton Manning and his teammates on offense were nearly flawless in beating Denver and Kansas City, but in a 38-31 victory over the Chiefs Sunday, the defense played just well enough to win. The Colts continued their tendency to give up big plays and big yardage, and the Chiefs were successful on all three of their fourth-down attempts.\nAgainst the Patriots on Sunday, that might be fatal.\n"We made some plays when we had to... but we have to tackle better," coach Tony Dungy said Monday. "Defensively and special teams-wise, it wasn't really one of our better games. We're going to have to get those two areas cranked up if we want to win this coming week."\nThe Colts (14-4) ranked 11th in the NFL in defense, 20th against the run and gave up 176 yards to Kansas City's Priest Holmes. The Chiefs totaled 408 yards, almost as much as the high-power Colts (434 yards).\n"It's not just the stats, but the way we're giving them up," Dungy said. "We've just got to be in the right gaps and do the right things. We've got to tackle a little better."\nNew England (15-2) beat Indianapolis 38-34 in November. A 17-14 divisional playoff victory over Tennessee was the Patriots' 13th straight win and sent them into the rematch with the Colts on Sunday with a spot in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1 at stake.\nMuch of the credit for the Colts even being in that position goes to Manning, who was the league's co-Most Valuable Player. He is the only player in NFL history with at least 4,000 yards passing five years in a row, and this year the Colts ranked first in the league in passing and third in total offense.\n"Our coaching staff has done a great job of game-planning and going after the weaknesses in the other defenses we play, but we've been very sharp," Dungy said. "We've had very few penalties, very few missed assignments... And we're good enough talent-wise that when we're not making mistakes we're tough to defend."\nIn two games in the playoffs, Manning has completed 44 of 56 passes for 681 yards and eight touchdowns. His 377 yards and five touchdowns against the Broncos earned a perfect passer rating.\n"It's hard to really think of two performances like this back to back," Dungy said. "At Kansas City, on the road, with the wind and the noise, to put two together like that in the playoffs in high-pressure situations, I'd have to think back a long ways."\nThe last time Indianapolis reached the AFC championship game was at Pittsburgh in 1996, when an incomplete pass on the final play cost the Colts a victory and a trip to the Super Bowl. New England beat St. Louis 20-17 to win the Super Bowl two years ago.\n"We're going to have to go in there and play well," Dungy said. "We've won our share of road games, now we have to go in and win one more with the stakes being very high"