Manning sharp in Colts' victory
INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning reverted to his old form Thursday night.
Michael Vick might do the same next week.
With Vick staying home, Manning threw two touchdown passes in three series to lead the Indianapolis Colts to a 23-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was the Colts' first preseason win since 2005, and a dramatic improvement on the 13-3 loss to Minnesota in their preseason opener last Friday.
"I don't think anybody offensively was really happy with what happened last week," Manning said. "It started with me and the entire offensive starting unit. Overall, I thought everybody came back and did a better job tonight."
Manning drove the Colts 81 yards for a touchdown on their first series, threw a 76-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne and finished 10 of 14 for 167 yards in less than 11 minutes.
Philadelphia played without eight starters and Vick, who could return to action next week for the first time since serving a prison term for bankrolling a dogfighting operation. The Eagles play Thursday against Jacksonville.
The absence of so many players caused problems for the Eagles, who committed 12 penalties, allowed three sacks and had two turnovers — both leading to scores for the Colts.
"All in all, that was an embarrassing performance and way too many penalties, not enough intensity all the way around, starting with me," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "It was a poor performance."
Aside from the Eagles' first scoring play — a perfect 39-yard strike from Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson, who split two defenders down the middle of the field to make it 14-7 — little went right.
Manning opened the game with a 12-play, 71-yard drive and beat a Philly blitz to hit Anthony Gonzalez in the corner of the end zone for a 3-yard TD.
After Manning fumbled deep in his own territory, Dwight Freeney swatted the ball away from McNabb and Indy's Keyunta Dawson recovered.
Manning took advantage right away, finding Wayne down the left sideline on the next play. Wayne scooted down the sideline, then made a nifty inside cut near the 10-yard line to avoid a defender for a 76-yard TD to give Indy a 14-0 lead.
The Colts made it 17-7 when Shane Andrus made a 24-yard field goal late in the first half and added two more field goals by Andrus in the second half.
Philadelphia didn't score again until Adam DiMichele hooked up with Brandon Gibson on a 21-yard TD pass with 26 seconds to go.
At Foxborough, Mass., Chad Ochocinco showed he can kick as well as catch. And Tom Brady showed he can take a hit — a very hard one.With Shayne Graham nursing a tender groin, Ochocinco, Cincinnati's career leader in catches and yards receiving, booted an extra point late in the first half — a point that gave the visiting Bengals a win over New England.By that time, Brady was done for the night after being knocked down twice on his 13 snaps, one week after remaining upright on all 24 of his snaps in a 27-25 win at Philadelphia.He got up quickly both times, his left knee passing the test after surgery that followed a season-ending injury in last year's opener.The only touchdown came on J.T. O'Sullivan 24-yard pass to Chris Henry in the back left side of the end zone.
