DENVER -- Observed and heard in the Indianapolis Colts' locker room after their 24-13 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High:

Pagano gets emotional: Colts coach Chuck Pagano didn't wait until after the game to give his team an emotional speech. He gave them one before they took the field against the Broncos on what it would take for them to advance to their first AFC Championship Game since 2009. "He was in here giving us his guts," defensive lineman Cory Redding said. "It means that much to him. It means that much for us. We went out there and fought for our general, fought for our coach. We want to do it for him. We know we have a good team and we want to showcase it every week. You can’t say enough about that dude. I love him to death. He’s more of a friend than my coach."

Familiar with Patriots: Pagano knows what it’s like to face the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro, Mass. He was the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator in 2011 when the Patriots beat them 23-20. "Great, great team," Pagano said. "Hall-of-Fame coach, Hall-of-Fame quarterback. We know how hard it is to win up there, so we’re going to worry about us."

Injury free: The only injury scare the Colts had was when cornerback Vontae Davis left the game momentarily late in the first half, but returned for the start of the third quarter.