DENVER – The Denver Broncos took care of the Indianapolis “B’ team and earned the right to face Peyton Manning and the real Colts next week in the playoffs.

Jake Plummer threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns Sunday to lift the Broncos to a 33-14 victory over the watered-down Colts and qualify for the AFC’s final wild-card spot.

The result eliminated Jacksonville and Baltimore from the playoff race and meant the Broncos (10-6) start the postseason next Sunday in a familiar place – at Indianapolis (12-4), where they lost 41-10 in last year’s first round.

The Colts came into this game locked into the third seed in the AFC playoffs and knowing a rematch with Denver was very possible. They had nothing to play for, little incentive to show anything, and they acted accordingly.

Manning played just one series, throwing two passes and finishing the regular season with the same NFL-record 49 touchdowns he entered the week with. Edgerrin James ran one time for minus-2 yards.

The Colts started three rookies in their defensive backfield and Plummer took advantage, writing a nice closing chapter to a difficult regular season in which he took every snap.

His 246 yards gave him 4,089 for the season, surpassing John Elway (1993) for the single-season franchise record. His two touchdowns, including a 38-yard, over-the-shoulder catch by Ashley Lelie, gave Plummer 27 for the season, which tied Elway for the team record.

Meanwhile, Plummer avoided any interceptions and finished the year with 20, many of which cost the Broncos dearly in a wildly inconsistent season.

By going 1-for-2, Manning finished the year with a 121.1 passer rating, easily breaking Steve Young’s all-time record. After the first drive, Manning stood on the sideline with the headphones on and watched rookie Jim Sorgi lead the Colts.

It was an impressive display, at least early.

Sorgi (16-for-25, 168 yards, two touchdowns) completed his first seven passes and led Indy on a 56-yard drive for an early 7-0 lead. Later, he hit Reggie Wayne on a timing route and Wayne spun away from two Broncos for a 71-yard score that cut Denver’s 10-point lead to 17-14.

From there, though, Denver slowly pulled away and got ready for a playoff trip under circumstances very similar to last year.

The Broncos qualified for the 2003 postseason with a 31-17 win over Indy in Week 15 – Manning played that game – but got humiliated two weeks later and remained without a postseason victory in the five seasons since their second Super Bowl win.

Tatum Bell led the Broncos with 91 yards on 16 carries. Reuben Droughns had 76 yards on 15 tries.

Dominic Rhodes played in place of James and had 34 yards and one lost fumble, which led to one of Jason Elam’s four field goals and a 20-14 lead before halftime.

Broncos safety John Lynch had the hit of the day, a helmet-to-helmet shot on Dallas Clark that resulted in a fumble and an apparent Denver touchdown.

On review, though, referee Pete Morelli ruled the pass incomplete. The touchdown was nullified, a flag for unnecessary roughness that had been thrown, then picked up, was reinstated, and Lynch will likely pay a price in the form of a fine from the NFL.

AP-ES-01-02-05 1928EST