Harrison Is Check Mate

Peyton Manning called audibles on four plays that all turned into Indianapolis touchdowns. Twice, the Colt quarterback checked off to plays he knew would work.

The ones to Marvin Harrison.

Harrison broke an NFL record and probably Cleveland’s playoff hopes Sunday, with his two touchdown receptions in the second half helping the Colts rally for a 28-23 victory over the Browns.

“He is unbelievable,” Colt Coach Tony Dungy said. “He was geared up all week and ready to go. He is amazing.”

The Colts (9-5) trailed, 16-0, at halftime before storming back with a no-huddle offense and Harrison, who finished with nine catches for 172 yards and set a league record for receptions in a season.

Harrison’s sixth catch -- on a fourth-down play in the third quarter -- moved him past Herman Moore, who caught 123 passes for Detroit in 1995. Harrison has 127 receptions for 1,566 yards this season.

“I just catch them, I don’t count them,” said Harrison, who has hooked up with Manning for 57 career touchdowns. “Peyton and I were on the same page. I just keep catching them. We needed to win. We don’t win, records don’t mean much.”

Harrison’s performance and a big stop by Indianapolis’ defense in the final seconds held off the Browns, whose latest comeback came up five yards short.

Out of timeouts, quarterback Tim Couch moved Cleveland (7-7) to the Colt 10 with 1:23 left, but the Browns couldn’t score the go-ahead touchdown as Couch’s fourth-down pass from the five-yard line went off Andre’ Davis’ hands.

James Mungro, filling in for Edgerrin James, had two touchdown runs as the first-place Colts moved one-half game ahead of Tennessee in the AFC South. The Titans play host to New England tonight.

Couch, playing the biggest game of his four-year career, was 21 for 35 for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He was equal to Manning, his close friend, but doesn’t have a receiver in Harrison’s class.

Harrison felt he let the Colts down last week in a loss at Tennessee when he dropped a pass in the end zone, but atoned with his ninth 100-yard game this season.

“I knew he was going to come up with a big day,” Dungy said.