NEW YORK, 24 October 2007 — The unbeaten Indianapolis Colts rolled to their sixth consecutive win with a 29-7 road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday.
The Colts and the New England Patriots (7-0) remain the only undefeated teams in the NFL.
Quarterback Peyton Manning rushed for one touchdown and passed for another as the Super Bowl champion Colts ended Jacksonville’s (4-2) four-game winning streak.
The defeat was a costly one for the Jaguars, who lost quarterback David Garrard to a sprained left ankle. in the second quarter. He did not play in the second half.
Manning efficiently led the Colts on four long scoring drives to seal the win, including a rush for a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter and a 35-yard TD pass to tight end Dallas Clark in the fourth quarter.
He completed 23-of-37 passes for 259 yards as Indianapolis dominated Jacksonville’s top-ranked defense.
“That was our plan coming in, to put some long drives together... to get the lead and try to put their offense in a bind,” Manning told reporters. He was especially pleased with the touchdown pass to Clark. “It kind of put it (the game) away,” said Manning, who had predicted the play would go for a touchdown. The Colts had 384 net yards while their defense held the Jaguars to 226. “They came out tonight and really answered the challenge,” Manning said of the Colts defense.
“They played great in the passing game and the running game.
Garrard was only 8-of-12 for 72 yards before being hurt.
Replacement Quinn Gray completed just 9-of-24 passes for 56 yards and was intercepted twice. He also was tackled in the end zone for a safety.
Kenton Keith scored the Colts’s first touchdown on a three-yard run in the first quarter and Adam Vinatieri kicked field goals of 36 and 20 yards.
Maurice Jones-Drew got Jacksonville’s touchdown on a one-yard run in the third quarter after the Colts had established a 17-0 lead.
More Misery for Miami as
Brown and Hill Out for Season
Meantime, the Miami Dolphins, having lost all seven of their games this season, suffered a fresh blow on Monday when running back Ronnie Brown and safety Renaldo Hill were ruled out for the season.
The pair both suffered torn cruciate ligaments during the team’s latest defeat - a 49-28 loss to the New England Patriots at Dolphin Stadium on Sunday.
Brown has been one of the few bright notes in a dismal campaign for Miami. He leads the NFL in total yards from scrimmage with 991 (602 rushing and 389 passing).
Hill is the second safety Miami have lost for the season after Yeremiah Bell tore his Achilles tendon in the first game.
The Dolphins face the New York Giants at Wembley Stadium, London, on Sunday, the first regular season NFL game to be played in Europe.
