Colts linebacker Josh McNary charged with rape

Colts linebacker Josh McNary has been charged in connection with an incident that happened Dec. 1.Associated Press/File

INDIANAPOLIS — Colts linebacker Josh McNary was charged with rape Wednesday afternoon, according to court documents filed by the prosecutor in Marion County, Ind.

McNary, 26, in his second season out of Army, faces one count of rape, one count of criminal confinement, and one count of battery resulting in bodily injury.

Peg McLeish, a spokeswoman in the city prosecutor’s office, confirmed Wednesday that the charges were filed.

A 29-year-old woman accused a man later determined to be McNary of attacking her in the early morning hours of Dec. 1, two Indianapolis police officers said, according to the probable cause affidavit. Police determined the man was McNary after investigating a cellphone the woman claimed she took from the man’s apartment, the report said.

In the report, police said the woman picked McNary’s image out of a group of photos.

When police arrived at McNary’s apartment to investigate, McNary said: ‘‘I know why you’re here,’’ the police wrote in the report.

The report said McNary claimed to have preserved evidence because he expected the police would be coming.

“We are aware that there has been a report about Josh McNary, but unfortunately that’s the limit of our knowledge,’’ the Colts said in a statement. “At this time we are very concerned and trying to find out what the relevant facts are, but we have insufficient information to venture any opinion. As we learn more we will make appropriate updates.”

McNary, who is 6 feet, 251 pounds, played in 15 games this season and appeared in both playoff games. He left Army as the program’s all-time leader in sacks.

McNary, who is from Houston, is from a military family. His father, George, is a retired captain from the Marine Corps and his grandfathers served in the Army.

Brown bouncing back

Colts defensive back Sergio Brown is not thinking about his Week 11 skirmish with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Brown, who broke Gronkowski’s arm on an extra-point attempt in 2012, was roughed up in this year’s 42-20 beating by the Patriots. Gronkowski blocked Brown into a camera cart on the sideline (earning an unnecessary roughness penalty and a fine) and the bad blood spilled into a war of words after Gronkowski said in a postgame interview he “threw [Brown] out of the club.’’

Brown took to Twitter to fire back, but eventually deleted the tweets.

Gronkowski had four receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown in the game.

Brown said he isn’t thinking about it this week.

“That don’t matter at all,” said Brown, who spent two years with the Patriots and was a teammate of Gronkowski’s in 2011.

Brown knows he has to focus on the game, because Patriots coach Bill Belichick will be busy in the lab all week.

The receiver-eligibility scheme Belichick came up with to baffle the Ravens last week was only more proof.

“Knowing Belichick, you already know something’s going to happen,’’ Brown said. “He knows everybody well. He does a great job of game-planning, scouting.

“Every week it’s something different. And when the stakes are higher or when he’s playing against a team he feels threatened by, he’s going to have his good stuff.”

Luck: ‘It’s a team game’

The long-running rivalry between the Patriots and Colts has been defined by the quarterbacks.

Tom Brady and Peyton Manning were the two best signal-callers of their generation. Every time they met in the playoffs, they wrote another chapter in their legacies.

Even though Manning’s gone, the matchup is still a showcase of two of the game’s best. Brady’s status is cemented, and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is carving out a spot for himself among the league’s elite.

Brady vs. Luck is now the high-wattage matchup, but Luck isn’t getting caught up in the lights.

“In my mind, that’s not a benchmark, I guess,” Luck said. “It’s about the Colts hopefully beating the Patriots.

“It is a team game. I’ve never viewed it as quarterback vs. quarterback. Obviously, he’s a stud and I have the utmost respect for what he does, what he’s done, what he still does. Great role model for any quarterback at any level, playing the position. But it’s a team game.”

For the third straight season since entering the league, Luck has led the Colts to the playoffs, and each season he’s advanced his team a round deeper.

A year ago, Brady and the Patriots ended the Colts’ season in the divisional round. Luck came back this season and threw a league-high 40 touchdown passes.

To an extent, Luck relishes the chance to face Brady with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

“I think there’s a competitive spirit in all of us that says, ‘Hey, the harder it is, the better. Let’s go make it happen,’ ” Luck said. “But we’re just excited to play a really good Patriots team on the road.

“Maybe there’s a little extra excitement because of that, but to be in the AFC Championship, that’s great. We’ve got to go out and win.”