The Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans
played role reversal Sunday for a half. Then Peyton Manning finally
performed like a two-time MVP.
Manning led the Colts on a late scoring drive for the second
straight week, hooking up with Reggie Wayne for a two-yard touchdown
pass with 5:10 left and giving Indianapolis a 14-13 come-from-behind
victory.
For 3{ quarters, it appeared the winless Titans might pull off
one of the most shocking upsets in the NFL this season.
But Manning was masterful in the second half. He finished
20-of-31 for 166 yards with two touchdowns _ both in the second half
_ and one interception. It was enough to keep the Colts unbeaten at
5-0.
Indy won its 12th straight over an AFC South foe and completed a
sweep of its home games against a divisional rival.
The Titans (0-5) have lost seven straight in the series.
Despite playing with rookie quarterback Vince Young and without
defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who served the first of his
five-game suspension, the Titans played their best game of the
season.
Like each of Indy's opponents in 2006, they took advantage of the
Colts' run defence early and played keepaway. Young threw only two
passes in the first quarter, and with 214 yards rushing, why not?
Tennessee rushed for 100 yards in the first quarter, and Travis
Henry, who was inactive last week, finished with 19 carries for 123
yards _ his first 100-yard game as a Titan.
The Colts had no answers in the first half and trailed 10-0.
Young looked poised early, marching Tennessee 88 yards on the
opening possession and providing a glimpse of what the Titans liked
so much about him coming out of college: mobility. He capped the
drive by eluding a couple of tackles and scoring on a 19-yard run.
Midway through the second quarter, Young took advantage of good
field position after Keith Bulluck recovered Dominic Rhodes' fumble
near midfield. The Titans settled for a 22-yard field goal from Rob
Bironas to make it 10-0.
Meanwhile, the Colts' offence was stuck in neutral with only
seven first-downs and Manning out of sync. He couldn't even complete
a pass to his favourite target, Marvin Harrison.
But Manning produced in the second half, as did Harrison.
After forcing Tennessee to punt on its opening possession,
Manning methodically moved the Colts downfield and hooked up with
Harrison on a 13-yard pass to make it 10-7.
It was Harrison's first touchdown reception of the season and he
also broke Marshall Faulk's NFL record for most consecutive games
with a reception at the start of the career. Harrison has now caught
a pass in all 159 games of his career. Faulk started his career with
158.
Tennessee answered with a 47-yard field from Bironas to make it
13-7 late in the third quarter.
And when it looked like this one might get away from the Colts,
Manning delivered again.
He missed one scoring chance when a pass went off Wayne's hands
near the goal line and Chris Hope picked it off. But the defence
forced a punt and gave Manning another chance.
This time, Manning found Wayne just inside the end zone for the
winning score.
Young was 10-of-21 for 63 yards with one interception, and his
final desperation pass was knocked down at about the Colts 10-yard
line.
Rhodes ran 20 times for 84 yards and Indy's Joseph Addai carried
13 times for 62 yards.
© The Canadian Press, 2007