INDIANAPOLIS – Even with his favorite option, Marvin Harrison, shut down early, Peyton Manning was un stoppable yesterday. Manning simply turned to Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark in building an insurmountable first-half lead.

The NFL Offensive Player of the Year had 457 yards passing, second most in playoffs history, in Indianapolis’s 49-24 victory over Denver. Manning threw four touchdown passes and ran for another.

Against the overmatched Broncos (10-7), Wayne finished with 221 yards, the third-most in playoff history, on 10 catches, with two touchdowns. Clark, who suffered a concussion in last week’s loss at Denver, had 112 yards and a score.

The Colts (13-4) go to defending champion New England next Sunday for a rematch of last year’s AFC title game, and they bring with them an even more diversified attack.

The rout was reminiscent of the Colts’ 41-10 romp over Denver in last year’s wild-card game, when Manning was 22 for-26 for 377 yards and five touchdowns and the Colts led 31-3 at halftime. The Broncos were even worse in the first half yesterday as Manning had a record 360 yards and three TDs at the half.

For good measure, Manning sneaked in from the 1 with 6 seconds left in the half, making it 35-3 and drawing handshakes from nearly every teammate for his first TD rushing in more than two years. But it was his arm, of course, that was most decisive. By hitting 27 of 33 passes, his QB rating for the game,145.7, dwarfed his record 121.1 rating for 2004.

With All-Pro cornerback Champ Bailey soloing on Harrison, the Colts simply went the other way. On their 76-yard drive to their first touchdown. Manning picked on Kelly Herndon and rookie Roc Alexander on the other side, hitting Wayne for 41 of the yards. He also found tight end Marcus Pollard down the seam for 25 yards to the 5,then James Mungro caught a 2-yard lob to make it 7-0.

Manning then used his other tight end, Clark, for gains of 24 and 31 yards on the next series, an 87-yarder for a 14-0 lead. Edgerrin James surged in from the 1.

Manning was 11-for-14 for 156 yards in the opening quarter, and he found Wayne, who made a splendid catch, for another 49 yards with his first pass of the second period. Clark’s 19-yard reception made it 21-0 on Indy’s next possession. After Jason Elam’s 33-yard field goal, the Broncos tried an onside kick that failed, and Wayne’s 35-yard TD made it 28-3.