Colts Rule by Any Measure

Forget about the laws of physics, nature and averages. The only way the Indianapolis Colts could win at New England -- something they did Monday after seven failed attempts -- was for Peyton Manning to take the law into his own hands.

Sending the message that the AFC is too small for two sheriffs, and exorcising a personal demon in the process, Manning finally outgunned quarterback Tom Brady to lead the Colts to a 40-21 victory at Gillette Stadium.

In the most anticipated game so far this season, the Colts scored three touchdowns on their first four drives to take control early and cruised the rest of the way.

It was a monumental triumph for Indianapolis, even though the Patriots are a shadow of the teams that won three of the last four Super Bowls. The Colts (8-0), current Super Bowl favorites and the league’s only undefeated team, saw their last two seasons end on this field with playoff losses.

Colt Coach Tony Dungy downplayed the significance of the victory, even though it all but assured his team would play host to a potential playoff rematch.

“I told our guys in the locker room that Pittsburgh beat these guys last year in the regular season and couldn’t do it in the playoffs,” he said. “Week 8 doesn’t guarantee you anything. It means we’re three games ahead at the turn in our division, and that’s what we came in here to do.”

Manning came into the game 0-7 at Foxborough and 2-10 in his career against the Patriots. Brady was 6-0 against Indianapolis and still enjoys a 3-0 lead over his Colt counterpart in Super Bowl rings. Even though Manning has gaudier career numbers, Brady is 9-0 in the postseason and is considered by many people the superior all-around quarterback.

The debate might rage on, but Manning had the upper hand in the latest installment. The Patriots (4-4), who have half the victories of the Colts, looked like half the team. Aside from its counterpunch touchdown on its first possession, New England was trying to dig its way out of a hole all night.

Heading into this season, no team had scored 40 points against the Bill Belichick-coached Patriots. Now, it has happened twice in five games, with San Diego posting a 41-17 victory here Oct. 2.

In an uncharacteristically brief postgame news conference Monday, Brady said, “We got our butts kicked,” and little else. He declined to take questions.

It has been a rough season for the Patriots, who beat Oakland in the NFL season opener and since have alternated victories and defeats, never winning or losing two in a row.

Far more than most, their defense has been ravaged by injuries. When cornerback Randall Gay was moved to safety Monday, he became the fifth safety to start opposite Eugene Wilson this season. Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour has missed the last four games because of an injured knee. Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison’s injured knee has him out for the season. And Pro Bowl linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who suffered a stroke less than two weeks after the Super Bowl, missed the first six games this season.

Still, injuries are part of the game, and in years past the Patriots were able to compensate for those. Clearly, Monday’s game was a watershed moment not just for the Colts but the entire league. The torch wasn’t passed, it was pried from New England’s grasp.

The cold reality of that hit home in the third quarter when hundreds, possibly thousands of fans headed for the exits, normally an unpardonable sin in these parts.

The Colt scoring spree was so fast and furious, the Patriots couldn’t afford to waste time establishing the run. Corey Dillon, who averaged 131.3 yards rushing in his previous three games against Indianapolis, was limited to 40 yards in 12 carries.

It wasn’t a bad game for Brady, who threw three touchdown passes. But it was a tour de force for Manning, who hasn’t been nearly as prolific this season as he was in 2004, when he broke Dan Marino’s record with 49 touchdown passes.

He completed 28 of 37 passes for 321 yards Monday with three touchdowns and an interception. He was never sacked. That from a quarterback who in his last six games against New England had more interceptions, 10, than touchdown passes, nine.

Edgerrin James rushed for 104 yards in 34 carries, his fourth consecutive 100-yard game. He also scored a touchdown for the sixth game in a row.

Manning, like his coach and many of his teammates, said he wasn’t looking at this as anything more than one more victory in the won-lost column.

Well, maybe a bit more than that.

“We’ll celebrate,” he said. “We always have a good time on the plane ride home. ... Hopefully, we’ll fly slow.”