Titan Tricks Don’t Faze Manning and the Colts

Peyton Manning threw three more touchdown passes Sunday, Edgerrin James ran for two scores, and the Colts returned a blocked field-goal try for another score in a 51-24 rout of Tennessee at Indianapolis. The Colts became the third team in league history to score 40 or more points in four consecutive games.

Tennessee tried three onside kicks in the first quarter and a fake punt in the third quarter.

“It seemed like every time they scored, they tried an onside kick,” Colt receiver Brandon Stokley said.

It barely slowed the Colts (9-3), who won their fifth in a row and are on pace to break the single-season scoring record Minnesota set in 1998 (556 points).

Tennessee (4-8), playing without Steve McNair, tried everything to halt the Colts but without success. The Titans gave up the most points by a foe since a 52-25 thrashing by the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 29, 2002.

Manning threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as Stokley and Marvin Harrison each topped the 100-yard mark. Manning completed 23 of 35 passes for 425 yards.

He moved within four touchdown passes of Dan Marino’s season record (48) and tied Johnny Unitas’ 45-year-old record by throwing multiple touchdowns in a 12th consecutive game to open the season.

New England 42, Cleveland 15 -- Bethel Johnson returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, and Corey Dillon rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns before halftime at Cleveland.

Randall Gay ran in a fumble 41 yards for a touchdown early in the second half as the Patriots (11-1) continued their best start.

It would have been easy for New England to look past the Browns (3-9), who lost their sixth game in a row. Cleveland’s season has been done in by costly injuries and frustrating losses.

New England Coach Bill Belichick had the Patriots ready, and they didn’t hold back against Cleveland rookie quarterback Luke McCown.

McCown finished 20 of 34 for 277 yards and threw his first two career touchdown passes, both to Antonio Bryant.

McCown, a fourth-round pick, played because of injuries to Jeff Garcia and Kelly Holcomb.

New York Jets 29, Houston 7 -- Chad Pennington returned from a strained right rotator cuff, and Curtis Martin was stellar yet again in helping the Jets win at East Rutherford, N.J.

Pennington, back after sitting out three games, directed three second-half touchdown drives and Martin had his seventh 100-yard game of the season to help the Jets (9-3) stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Martin had 134 yards in 23 carries, going over the 1,300-yard mark for the season. He needs 26 yards to become the fifth back to reach 13,000 yards in a career.

Pennington finished 20 of 27 for 155 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Kansas City 34, Oakland 27 -- Trent Green completed 14 of 15 passes after halftime for 229 of his 340 yards and connected with Eddie Kennison for a tiebreaking 70-yard touchdown with 2:04 left at Oakland.

Kennison’s game-winning catch came at the 35-yard line, then he ran out of the grasp of rookie safety Stuart Schweigert. The Chiefs (4-8) scored on all four of their second-half possessions to end a four-game losing streak.

The Raiders (4-8) haven’t won at home since beating Tampa Bay in Week 3.

Buffalo 42, Miami 32 -- Drew Bledsoe threw four touchdown passes, and the Bills forced seven turnovers at Miami to maintain their late-season surge.

A.J. Feeley threw three touchdown passes, all in the first 12 1/2 minutes, for Miami (2-10). He also had a hand in six turnovers, including an interception returned 20 yards for the game’s final score by 317-pound tackle Pat Williams with 1:55 left.

The Bills (6-6) have scored 117 points in the last three games, all wins.