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Colts hold off Jaguars

Dec 2, 2007 - 11:34 PM INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars could not stand up to the challenges of Tony Dungy and the Indianapolis Colts.

Peyton Manning threw four touchdown passes to lead the Colts to a 28-25 victory over the Jaguars on Sunday in an AFC South showdown.

Indianapolis (10-2) won its third straight game and snapped the three-game winning of Jacksonville (8-4) to open a two-game lead in the division. Plus, the Colts swept the season series, which all but wrapped up AFC South crown.

It was a big game and we knew that, we knew what the division standings looked like and we knew it was going to be tough," Dungy said. "Overall it was just a complete team effort and that's what it takes this time of the year."

Manning finished 20-of-29 for 288 yards with one interception. He now has 23 TD passes, giving him at least 20 for 10 consecutive seasons.

The Jaguars repeatedly fought back from 14-point deficits behind David Garrard and a strong running game, but their defense was unable to stop Indianapolis.

"They're a good ball team. We're a good ball team," Garrard said. "You hope that every time you go out there you beat these guys. They're out there giving it their all. ... We just have to go out and focus on our next game against Carolina, put this one behind us."

Garrard finished 24-of-29 for 257 yards, two TD passes and one interception - his first in 231 attempts this season.

Jacksonville pulled with 28-25 on Garrard's 17-yard scoring pass to Dennis Northcutt with 2:47 left to play, but the Colts ran out the clock from there.

"I thought we played hard, played well in spurts, but didn't do enough to get off the field on third down," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "We didn't do the things we needed to do to have success on third down. We'll go home, make the corrections, and move on."

Two early challenges by Dungy overturned rulings on the field, leading to a pair of first-quarter touchdowns by Indianapolis and setting the tone for the contest.

Dungy's first challenge came after Colts defensive end Robert Mathis stripped Garrard. It initially was ruled that Jacksonville recovered the fumble but then was overturned on replay, setting up the Colts at the Jaguars' 11-yard line.

"Raheem Brock had the ball," Dungy said. "It should have not been missed on the field. I saw it all the way."

Manning needed two plays to cash in on the miscue, hitting tight end Dallas Clark on a 5-yard fade pattern in the right corner of the end zone for a 7-0 lead 5 1/2 minutes into the game.

A second challenge by Dungy overturned an apparent fumble by his backup tight end Ben Utecht near midfield.

After it was ruled an incomplete pass upon review, Manning found Reggie Wayne behind the defense for a 48-yard scoring pass on the very next play for a 14-0 lead with 1:31 left in the opening quarter.

"It was two good teams going at each other, and it seemed as if every questionable play that could've gone either way went their way," Del Rio said. "But that's the way it goes sometimes."

That was an ominous sign for the Jaguars, since Dungy's teams are 69-1 all-time when holding a lead of 14 points.

Jacksonville did respond with a 16-play drive that lasted over 11 minutes to halve the deficit. Maurice Jones-Drew scored on a 2-yard run to make it 14-7 with 5:21 left in the half.

That was just enough time for Manning to drive the Colts 80 yards for another TD - this time a 14-yard pass to Clark in the right corner of the end zone to restore the lead to 21-7 with six seconds left in the half.

The touchdown came on 3rd-and-goal and marked the seventh consecutive time Indy converted on third down in the opening half.

The Jaguars opened the second half with 10 unanswered points, including Garrard's 2-yard pass to tight end Marcedes Lewis.

Manning was picked off in the end zone by Reggie Nelson with the Colts holding a 21-14 lead, giving Jacksonville needed momentum.

"It was horrible, horrible decision given the circumstance," Manning said. "You have got the lead, it's third down, you have got a guaranteed three points. I can sit here and talked about it, but there's zero excuses for it."

But Manning brought the Colts downfield and capped the a drive with a 1-yard shovel pass to Luke Lawton to push the lead to 28-17 with 8:26 to play.

On the ensuing possession, the Jaguars were driving for another score when Garrard threw his first interception of the season with 6:38 to play.

"We're excited heading into the fourth quarter of the season and we have a lead in the division so we have to finish off December right," Dungy said. "We just did things right and moved the ball when we had to."