Colts thundering along
YESTERDAY IN THE NFL Wipe out Titans, improve to 12-0 on the season Chambers snags 15 passes as Dolphins rally to beat Bills
The Indianapolis Colts are making perfection look easier every week. Now they’ll have a chance to keep their historic quest going in the playoffs, too. With the offence completely in sync and the defence producing another physically dominant performance, Tennessee never had a chance as the Colts rolled to a 35- 3 home victory to clinch a playoff spot and remain the NFL’s only unbeaten team.
“Anything that comes along with winning, you accept it,” two-time MVP Peyton Manning, the Colts’ quarterback, said. The Colts are the fifth team in league history to go 12- 0, but must wait until next week at Jacksonville for a chance to wrap up their third consecutive AFC South title and a firstround bye in the playoffs.
If the past few games are any indication, that’s only a matter of time.
Indianapolis has won seven of its last nine by at least 17 points, averaging more than 35 points. The Colts even routed Tennessee on a day Manning threw only 17 passes, the second- fewest of his NFL career. He threw two passes in last year’s season finale at Denver. BENGALS at STEELERS:
Cincinnati rode Carson Palmer’s three TD passes and a defence that forced four turnovers to an allimportant 38-31 victory over Pittsburgh. The Steelers got a gutsy effort from Ben Roethlisberger ( 29 of 41, 386 yards, three TDs, three interceptions) despite a possible fractured right thumb. COWBOYS at GIANTS:
New York’s defence held on desperately in the fourth quarter to beat Dallas 17- 10. The Giants had four sacks, forced two fumbles — including one that was returned for a touchdown by linebacker Antonio Pierce— and intercepted Drew Bledsoe twice. JETS at PATRIOTS: New England won the battle of banged-up teams with contributions from two running backs who returned from injuries.
Corey Dillon scored on a oneyard run and Kevin Faulk made three big third-down catches, leading the Pats to a 16- 3 win over the New York Jets that kept New England’s AFC East lead at two games. A Patriot who hasn’t missed a game in his 10 years with the team set a club record for points. Adam Vinatieri kicked field goals of 21, 34 and 22 yards, giving him 1,134 points, four more than Gino Cappelletti. BILLS at DOLPHINS:
Chris Chambers leaped in the end zone to make his 15th reception of the game with six seconds left, capping a frantic fourth- quarter comeback by Miami, which beat Buffalo 24- 23. The Bills led 23- 3 with 12 minutes left, but Miami backup Sage Rosenfels directed fourth- quarter TD drives of 70, 49 and 73 yards. FALCONS at PANTHERS: Carolina bottled up Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick and waltzed away with a 24- 6 victory. TEXANS at RAVENS: Matt Stover kicked a 38- yard field goal with six seconds left, giving Baltimore a 16- 15 win over Houston. PACKERS at BEARS: Charles Tillman returned one interception of Brett Favre 95 yards to set up a field goal and Nathan Vasher carried a fourth- quarter pick 45 yards for a clinching TD as Chicago beat Green Bay 19- 7. VIKINGS at LIONS: Brad Johnson threw two TD passes, Michael Bennett scored twice and Minnesota held on to beat Detroit 21- 16.
Minnesota has won five in a row, salvaging its season after a bad start and the now infamous boat party. JAGUARS at BROWNS:
Backup QB David Garrard threw two TD passes in the second half and made a crucial scramble for a first down in the final minutes as Jacksonville rallied for its fifth straight win, 20- 14 over Cleveland. BUCCANEERS vs. SAINTS: Ronde Barber intercepted Aaron Brooks three times and Chris Simms hit Joey Galloway for the only TD Tampa Bay needed to beat New Orleans 10- 3 at Baton Rouge, La. REDSKINS at RAMS: Clinton Portis rambled for 136 yards on 27 carries with a pair of touchdowns and Washington made rookie quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick run for his life in a 24- 9 victory over St. Louis that snapped the Redskins’ threegame losing streak. CARDINALS at NINERS:
In an ugly matchup between two unsightly teams, Anquan Boldin’s stumbling, staggering run through San Francisco’s inept tackling was a fitting way to decide it.
Kurt Warner was 29 of 45 for 354 yards and Boldin somehow turned one of his 11 catches for 156 yards into the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of Arizona’s 17- 10 victory over San Francisco.