FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Step by step, Andrew Luck has climbed into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.In each of his three seasons, he and the Indianapolis Colts got one game closer to the Super Bowl. Now he can reach that destination if he beats Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game Sunday night.I want to beat the best, Luck said. Theres a competitive spirit in all of this: Hey, the harder it is, the better. Lets go try and make it happen. If the Colts (13-5) upset the Patriots (13-4), Luck will have accomplished a difficult feat: beating Peyton Manning and Brady in consecutive games on the way to the Super Bowl.But a win against the 37-year-old Brady, 12 years his senior, wont be a major measuring stick for Lucks progress.Thats not a benchmark, he said. Hes a great role model for any quarterback at any level playing the position, but its a team game. To me, its as simple as that.Luck has piled up impressive statistics since being drafted with the first pick out of Stanford in 2012.This season, he led the NFL with 40 touchdown passes and surpassed Mannings single-season franchise high with 4,761 yards passing. Hes also the only player to throw for at least 250 yards in each of his first five playoff games.In his three seasons, the Colts lost in the wild-card round, then reached the division round and now are playing for the AFC title after Luck threw for 265 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-13 divisional round win over Denver and Manning.Hes just stayed with the process, Colts coach Chuck Pagano said. Right now he probably feels as good as hes ever felt.And thats not good for the Patriots.He was pretty good when he came in and hes even better now, New England coach Bill Belichick said. Hes got a lot of strengths, no weaknesses.Sounds like Brady.The 15-year veteran will play in his ninth AFC championship game and fourth straight, but the Patriots lost two of the previous three. In last Saturdays 35-31 divisional win over the Baltimore Ravens, Brady led the Patriots back from two 14-point deficits. His three touchdown passes gave him 46 for his career, breaking Joe Montanas record of 45 in the post-season.Weve shown a lot of improvement and it all leads to this moment, Brady said, so weve got to be at our best.Things to watch for as two of the NFLs highest-scoring teams meet:CATCHING ON: When they drop back, Luck and Brady have plenty of reliable receivers to choose from.Luck connected with eight against Denver. And one who didnt catch a pass, Reggie Wayne, needs 36 yards receiving to move past Cliff Branch for No. 3 in NFL post-season history.One of the things that I believe has been a reason for our success is the different playmakers that we have and the way that the ball is being spread around, Colts tight end Dwayne Allen said.Brady completed at least four passes to six different receivers against Baltimore, including one touchdown each to Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola and Brandon LaFell, who caught a winning 23-yarder with just over five minutes left.PATRIOTS RUSHING: New England used a powerful ground attack in its last two games against Indianapolis. LeGarrette Blount ran for 166 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-22 divisional win last year, and Jonas Gray rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-20 win Nov. 16. But the Patriots rushed only 13 times for 14 yards against the Ravens, and three of them were kneel-downs by Brady in the last two minutes.We chose not to run the ball more than anything else, offensive co-ordinator Josh McDaniels said. It wasnt like we ran it 20 times and had 35 yards.BOOM TOWN: The last time the teams met, Colts RB Daniel Boom Herron played a season-low one snap. He got his first career start in the next game and has become a dual threat. After rushing for just 74 yards and catching two passes in the first 10 games, hes had 396 yards rushing and 37 receptions. In his two playoff games, hes run for 119 yards and two touchdowns and caught 18 of 19 passes thrown his way.I love it, he said of his post-season performances. Thats what youre here for and thats what Ive dreamed about since Ive been playing football.FOR THE RECORD: Brady needs 10 yards passing for 6,801 in his post-season career, breaking Mannings record. One more post-season win will give Belichick his 21st as a coach, snapping a tie with Tom Landry for the most in NFL history. Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots and has one ring with the Colts, will break Jerry Rices mark for most post-season games with his 30th. He also can set a record with his 14th consecutive post-season game with a field goal, breaking a tie with Tony Fritsch.CHANGING PLAYERS: Both teams have players in bigger roles than in the regular-season matchup. The Colts are getting greater production from rookie receiver Donte Moncrief, and the offensive line has three different starters. Defensive tackle Arthur Jones is back after missing the first meeting with an ankle injury and kick returner Josh Cribbs joined the team two days after the first game.For the Patriots, defensive end Chandler Jones, Arthurs younger brother, missed it with a hip injury, while Blount joined the Patriots the following week after being cut by Pittsburgh.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFLJordan Morris Jersey . George Hill had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Pacers, who stayed atop the overall NBA standings despite losing twice on their West Coast trip. Los Angeles kept it close into the second half before the Pacers finished an easy win over the injury-riddled Lakers, who have lost five straight. Walker Zimmerman Jersey . LOUIS -- Russell Martin wanted a better fate for his starting pitcher and helped deliver a happier ending. http://www.soccerusafansshop.com/Michael-Bradley-Copa-America-Jersey/ . The international synchronized skating competition takes place from January 31 - February 1, 2014, and features 39 teams from 10 countries, in senior, junior, and novice. John Brooks Jersey . Speaking with TSN 1050 following Brendan Shanahans introductory press conference, the Leafs GM also addressed the clubs perceived leadership issues and the type of working relationship that can be expected within Torontos front office. Matt Besler Jersey . The Braves optioned outfielder Jose Constanza to Triple-A Gwinnett. As expected, the Braves also called up right-hander Julio Teheran from Gwinnett to start Sundays game and optioned backup catcher J.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Not even Nostradamus couldve foretold that TCU would begin 13-0. Or prognosticate that Temple would beat Kansas by 25. Or forecast that Old Dominion would be in the top 25 for the first time after winning just five games two years ago. Or even predict that Notre Dame, Maryland, West Virginia, Seton Hall and Washington would all return to the national landscape. The Big 12 never had six teams ranked in the top 25 until last week. The Horned Frogs werent one of them, but theyve been the conferences most surprising squad. They may not make it into the NCAA Tournament come March, but an appearance in any of the postseason tournaments would make this season successful. Granted, TCU had a non-conference schedule ranked in the 300s, doesnt really own a signature win and has begun 0-3 in the Big 12. But this is a school that failed to win a conference game a year ago and has posted just two since joining the Big 12 in 2012. The Horned Frogs solid start had them ranked in the top 25 for the first time since the 1998-99 season. They raced off to their best start in the programs 106-year history and have already surpassed last years win total. The Owls have been flying high since the second-semester acquisitions of Jesse Morgan and Devin Coleman, evidenced by a 77-52 shellacking of Kansas on Dec. 22. Theyve greatly improved their 3-point shooting, 35.7 percent (60-of-168), since the duo joined the fray. Temple had shot just 24.5 percent (45-of-184) prior to their arrival. You have to take the good and the bad with streaky- shooting Morgan, however. He was 0-of-13 from beyond the arc in the Owls 63-56 loss to Tulsa on Saturday. The biggest difference between this year and last has been the Owls much- improved defense. Temple allowed opponents to score 78.1 points per game and shoot 47.4 percent from the floor last season, but have surrendered just 61.8 points while combatants are connecting on just 38.2 percent of attempts during this campaign. Old Dominion already has four top-100 wins, VCU, LSU, Georgia State and Charlotte, which might be enough for an at-large bid come March. This depends on how the Monarchs finish in Conference USA or if they slip up in the conference tournament. Jeff Jones took over Old Dominion a year after it won five games and his team notched 18 victories. This season, the Monarchs got off to their best start in school history, although they suffered a 72-65 defeat at Western Kentucky on Saturday. Notre Dames ACC debut last season was a bust. The Irish (15-17) finished 11th in the conference and endured their first losing season since 1998-99. One of the main reasons for their futility was the suspension of Jerian Grant, who was lost after 12 games due to an academic issue. Notre Dame was 8-4 with him and just 7-13 without their star. This season, like TCU, Notre Dame also had a weak non-conference strength of schedule (299), but last Mondays road win at North Carolina gave it some credibility. And so much for coach Mike Breys Burn offense; the only thing the Irish are burning are the nets. They are scoring 83.3 points per game, lead the country in field-goal percentage (53.5) and are among the nations leaders in 3-point field goal percentage (40.7). Maryland shocked many when it took down Iowa State in the CBE Classic title game on Nov. 25, but what mightve been even more stunning was its continued success despite the loss of Dez Wells. The Terrapins went 6-1 during his absence -- the lone defeat to unbeaten Virginia on Dec. 3 -- after he brokee his wrist in that victory over the Cyclones.dddddddddddd They can thank freshman Melo Trimble for that. Trimble, who was Marylands first McDonalds All-American since Mike Jones in 2003, is currently leading the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game. The Terps havent made the past four NCAA Tournaments, their longest drought since 1989-93, but that should change this year. Even with star guard Juwan Staten on the roster, nobody expected much from West Virginia this season in a loaded Big 12. But so far the Mountaineers have just two blemishes on their resume, home losses to LSU on Dec. 4 and Iowa State Saturday. They have wins over Connecticut, NC State and Wofford. Coach Bob Huggins full-court pressure has paid huge dividends this season. The Mountaineers are currently forcing more turnovers than any team in the country (22.3). The momentum of Sterling Gibbs game-winning shot in Seton Halls Big East Tournament first round upset win over Villanova has carried over into this season. The emergence of heralded recruit Isaiah Whitehead has also been a huge factor. Gibbs leads the team in scoring (16.0 ppg) and assists (3.9 apg), while Whitehead is second in both categories (11.9 ppg, 3.4 apg). The Pirates made it into the top 25 last week after garnering a pair of upset home triumphs over then-No. 15 St. Johns and then-No. 6 Villanova, then lost at Xavier before a one-point win at Creighton. Washingtons suffocating defense and shot-blocking ability had the Huskies in the top 25 prior to a poor early showing in Pac-12 play. Their 11-0 start matched the best during Lorenzo Romars tenure as coach. The Huskies also began 11-0 during the 2005-06 campaign. Opponents are scoring just 60.9 points per game and shooting 34.9 percent from the field. The shot-swatting presence of seven-foot Fresno State transfer Robert Upshaw has made it tough for others to get a good look because of his ability to alter shots at the rim. He leads the country with 4.4 blocks per game. All of these teams have put themselves in position for possible NCAA Tournament berths come March -- besides TCU -- as long as none of them free fall in conference. Note: Projected bracket features predicted conference champions. MIDWEST (Cleveland) 1. Kentucky vs. 16. South Dakota State/Alabama State winner 8. Oklahoma State vs. 9. San Diego State 4. Notre Dame vs. 13. Ohio State/Connecticut winner 5. Seton Hall vs. 12. Wofford 6. Butler vs. 11. Iowa 3. Iowa State vs. 14. Eastern Washington 7. Dayton vs. 10. NC State 2. Arizona vs. 15. American WEST (Los Angeles) 1. Duke vs. 16. Murray State 8. St. Johns vs. 9. Washington 4. West Virginia vs. 13. Georgia/BYU winner 5. VCU vs. 12. SMU 6. Texas vs. 11. Alabama 3. Maryland vs. 14. Stephen F. Austin 7. Northern Iowa vs. 10. Georgetown 2. Gonzaga vs. 15. Northeastern EAST (Syracuse) 1. Virginia vs. 16. Coastal Carolina/New Mexico State winner 8. George Washington vs. 9. Old Dominion 4. Arkansas vs. 13. Buffalo 5. Oklahoma vs. 12. Temple 6. Baylor vs. 11. Green Bay 3. Utah vs. 14. NC Central 7. Providence vs. 10. Syracuse 2. Wisconsin vs. 15. Iona SOUTH (Houston) 1. Villanova vs. 16. UC Santa Barbara 8. Cincinnati vs. 9. Stanford 4. Wichita State vs. 13. Georgia/BYU winner 5. North Carolina vs. 12. Harvard 6. LSU vs. 11. Xavier 3. Louisville vs. 14. Georgia State 7. Colorado State vs. 10. Michigan State 2. Kansas vs. 15. 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