FOXBOROUGH,
Mass. (Nov. 7, 2005) AP -- Last week, Peyton Manning played
"The King." On Monday night, he played like the
King of the NFL, leading the Indianapolis Colts over their
personal Everest.
Maybe now, after routing the New England Patriots 40-21
on Monday night, they'll admit this could be a super season.
Manning shrugged off his 0-7 record at Foxboro with an intelligent
dissection of the two-time defending champions. Aided by
star running back Edgerrin James' 104 yards on 34 carries,
and 100-yard receiving games from Marvin Harrison and Reggie
Wayne, Manning kept the Colts perfect through eight games,
the NFL's only undefeated team.
Instead of concentrating on this game the way much of the
nation was, Manning spent his bye week watching brother
Eli quarterback the Giants against Washington, then attending
a Halloween party thrown by Eli. Peyton's getup: Elvis.
"Nobody recognized it was me, either," he said
with a hardy laugh -- perhaps the first time he's ever smiled
after a game in Massachusetts. "I guess my secret is
out."
Whatever secret formula the Patriots held against Indianapolis
wasn't evident this time. Manning believed jumping in front
was crucial.
"We wanted to execute and get a lead on this team.
We haven't had a lead on this team in a long time,"
Manning said. "The idea is to try to dictate to the
defense."
While the Patriots have struggled mightily with injuries,
an undependable running game and a leaky defense, their
hex over the Colts was the major theme. But the Patriots
(4-4) were the inferior team Monday.
"We got our butts kicked tonight," Patriots quarterback
Tom Brady said in a short statement before hustling out
of a news conference.
New England still leads the AFC East, which doesn't put
them within shouting distance of the Colts, who looked mature,
savvy and resourceful, all elements they have lacked against
the Pats in recent years.
The last time Indianapolis was here, in January, it managed
all of three points in a divisional playoff game. This time,
the Colts' vastly upgraded defense hit harder and forced
the pace, while the offense was versatile and unflappable.
"I think we are more of a team and kind of feed off
each other," Manning said. "It's definitely the
best camaraderie we've had since I've been here eight years."
Manning was 28 of 37 for 321 yards and three touchdowns.
He guided the Colts, who are 5-0 on the road, to scores
on seven of eight possessions. Indy didn't punt until the
final 2 minutes and scored its most points ever against
the Patriots.
The Colts, who have downplayed their great start this season,
were so skillful this night they even forced Bill Belichick
into some desperate measures. After Daniel Graham turned
a tight end screen into a 31-yard touchdown midway in the
third quarter, New England's coach ordered an onside kick.
It was recovered by the Colts' Joseph Jefferson, who advanced
it to the Patriots 22.
Indianapolis managed only Mike Vanderjagt 's 35-yard field
goal, and Belichick remained emboldened. The Patriots went
for a fourth-and-4 at the Indy 43, but Brady threw too low
for David Givens.
"It's pitiful. It's embarrassing," linebacker
Rosevelt Colvin said. "We've got to get it right and
we've got to get it right fast.
"They showed why they're pretty much the best team
in the league."
Vanderjagt added a 20-yard field goal before Manning capped
it with an on-the-run throw that descended directly into
Harrison's hands in the end zone despite tight coverage
by Asante Samuel.
Harrison had nine catches for 128 yards and Wayne had nine
for 124. The Colts held the ball for 36:41.
The offensive showcase began immediately when Manning hit
Harrison for 48 yards, then threw him a fade pass in the
right corner of the end zone over Samuel for a 1-yard touchdown.
"That play to Marvin was really big," Manning
said.
New England tied it on a 16-yard TD catch by Super Bowl
MVP Deion Branch, but James' 2-yard run made it 14-7.
Nearing the end of the half, New England unnerved Manning
for perhaps the only time with a blitz. Manning unwisely
threw off his back foot to avoid a sack and Mike Vrabel
picked it off at the Patriots 47.
New England returned the favor, however, after reaching
the Indy 17. Bob Sanders knocked the ball out of Corey Dillon
's hands directly to Jason David.
Using the hurry-up offense to perfection, Manning took
up nearly all the remaining 2:07 on a nine-play, 73-yard
drive. He capped it by hitting Wayne with a precise pass
into the left corner of the end zone for a 10-yard TD just
9 seconds before halftime, making it 21-7.
After New England held the ball a mere 29 seconds after
the second-half kickoff, Manning engineered an 11-play,
60-yard series highlighted by the two-time MVP's 18-yard
scramble on third-and-5. Dominic Rhodes ran in from the
4.
Not even the second game for Tedy Bruschi, New England's
Pro Bowl linebacker returning from a mild stroke, could
help the Patriots this night. Not against a Colts team that
no longer can play it low-key.
Notes: The win made Colts coach Tony Dungy 51-0 when his
team has led by at least 14 points. ... Brady lost to the
Colts for the first time in seven meetings. He finished
22 of 33 for 265 yards.
