No Lead Is Big Enough for Colts

Not even Peyton Manning’s record passing could offset the Indianapolis Colts’ horrid defense.

For the fifth time this season, the Colts blew a double-digit lead, and second-half touchdowns by Michael Bates, Tim Biakabutuka and Raghib Ismail lifted the Carolina Panthers to a 27-19 victory Sunday in what could have been Dom Capers’ final game as coach.

“Today’s game makes a statement about the will of this team,” Capers said. “This season has been a big test for all of us, and at times it’s been extremely difficult when you go through the frustrations and disappointments.”

Nine of Carolina’s 12 losses were by seven points or less, and several newspapers last week reported Capers would be fired at the end of the season.

Manning, who set NFL rookie records for attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns, gave the Colts a 13-3 lead with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Pollard early in the second quarter. But Indianapolis (3-13) managed only two field goals by Mike Vanderjagt after that.

“This game mirrored our season,” Colt Coach Jim Mora said. “These are things we’ve done all year, and it hurt us all year long. We’ve had a terrible time stopping the run, and they got after us real well today.

“I thought we would be better than this [defensively].”

A 99-yard return by Bates on the second-half kickoff pulled the Panthers (4-12) within three, and on the next possession, a 46-yard pass from Steve Beuerlein to Ismail set up a five-yard touchdown run by Biakabutuka to put Carolina ahead to stay.

A 42-yard field goal by Vanderjagt closed Indianapolis to 20-19 at the end of the third quarter, but once again, the Colt defense fell apart in the final quarter.