Wild Horses: Colts Stomp Titans, 31-9
CB Tim Jennings (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
CB Tim Jennings (AP Photo/Wade Payne)
Editor, ColtPower.com
Posted Oct 12, 2009
scout.com


Facing a potential 0-5 start, the last thing the Tennessee Titans wanted to see Sunday night was Peyton Manning at the top of his game. But that's exactly what they got, as the future Hall of Famer tossed three touchdowns and the Colts' defense kept Tennessee out of the end zone as Indianapolis headed into its bye week with a perfect record.

The win moves the Colts to 5-0 in the 2009 season, and was the team's 14th-straight regular season victory. Indianapolis hasn't lost since falling at Tennessee on Oct. 28, 2008.

The Colts took an early 7-0 lead on a pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne, but the Titans countered with a pair of Rob Bironas field goals before the Colts whipped up a flurry of points prior to the first-half horn.

With 5:02 left in the half, Joseph Addai capped a 12-play, 81-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown. Manning was 8-of-8 on the drive as the Colts took up 6:46 and led, 14-6. The Titans got the ball back and drove 52 yards for another field goal, but Manning wasn't done yet.

With just 1:04 left before halftime, Manning completed five more passes, the final going to rookie Austin Collie for 39 yards and a touchdown with just 25 seconds left in the half. Suddenly, what looked like a typical Colts-Titans nailbiter had turned in Indy's favor.

Manning didn't let up after a Tim Jennings interception early in the third quarter. He found Collie for another touchdown that made it 28-9, and Adam Vinatieri drilled a short field goal in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring.

It was a typically brilliant night for Manning, who hit the 300-yard plateau for the fifth straight game. The three-time MVP hit on 36-of-44 passes for three touchdowns and 309 yards, for a QB rating of 109.2. He also threw a first-half interception.

Not to be lost in Manning's brilliance is the fine play of the Colts' defense recently. Indianapolis gave up only 254 yards and forced two turnovers, each of which the offense converted into touchdowns. Chris Johnson, the NFL's leading rusher coming into the game, was held to just 34 yards on nine carries.

Clint Session and Antoine Bethea led the defensive surge with nine and eight tackles, respectively. Bethea also forced a fumble. The Colts started a pair of rookie cornerbacks, Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers, and both played big against the Titans' receiving corps. Dwight Freeney also recorded a sack for the Colts.

Offensively, Manning completed 27-of-28 passes to his top three targets. Addai caught 10 passes, while Dallas Clark grabbed nine and Collie grabbed eight. Reggie Wayne had six catches.

The Colts, who own a three-game lead in the AFC South, have a bye next week, while Tennessee travels to New England.


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