Manning Makes It Look Easy

Peyton Manning has been where the Cincinnati Bengals are this season. So he knows to appreciate every victory he gets.

“After last year, to say we’re going to overlook anybody doesn’t make a lot of sense. Sometimes it’s not going the way you want it to, but we finally caught on and made some plays,” said Manning, who passed for 284 yards and two touchdowns as the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Bengals, 31-10, Sunday.

Coupled with last week’s 16-13 victory over the New York Jets, it marked the first time in Manning’s 22-game career the Colts (4-2) have won two in a row.

“So far this year, it’s been win-lose, win-lose,” said Manning, who was only 3-13 last year despite setting NFL rookie records for yards and touchdowns passing. “It’s nice to have one that didn’t go down to the wire in the fourth quarter. Even though it was a struggle at times, we felt we were in control the entire game.”

Marvin Harrison, the NFL leader in receptions, caught eight of Manning’s passes for 156 yards, including 56 yards for a first-quarter touchdown. It was the eighth touchdown reception of the season for Harrison, matching his career high in only the sixth game.

The Colts also got two short touchdown runs by rookie Edgerrin James and a late touchdown pass by Manning to Ken Dilger.

The Bengals (1-6) lost Corey Dillon, the NFL’s leading rushing, with a cut on his right arm in the first half, and rookie quarterback Akili Smith because of a bruised right shin in the third quarter. Jeff Blake relieved Smith and passed 10 yards to Darnay Scott for a score with 5:13 to go for the Bengals’ touchdown.

Dilger caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Manning that made the score 31-3 in the fourth quarter.