updated 4:03 a.m. ET Nov. 6, 2006

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Peyton Manning didn’t have to be perfect for the Colts to remain the only team with a perfect record.

He had plenty of help from a defense that had been far from perfect all season. With four interceptions — the last ending the Patriots’ final chance with 1:18 left — Indianapolis beat New England 27-20 Sunday night to improve to 8-0.

With the loss by Chicago and coach Lovie Smith to Miami earlier Sunday, the Colts are the NFL’s only unbeaten team.

“Lovie let me down,” Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said. “I was hoping they’d win so they would get all the focus.”

Sunday’s win capped an impressive two-game road stretch against two of the best teams in the AFC. On Sunday, he threw for 328 yards and tossed two touchdown passes to Marvin Harrison one week after throwing for 345 yards and three scores in a 34-31 win at Denver.

“Those are two very tough places to play,” Dungy said. “We’re finding a lot of different ways to win. We still aren’t playing our best.”

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady certainly didn’t on Sunday.

Two of his interceptions came on tipped balls against a defense that had just five picks in its first seven games. The Patriots’ running game did gain 148 yards against the NFL’s worst rush defense.

“We ran successfully and made some passes,” Brady said, “but it all gets negated when you turn the ball over.”

His 201 yards passing were just 56 more than Harrison had on his eight catches.

The Patriots (6-2) ended a four-game winning streak and dropped a second straight to Indianapolis after winning six in a row.

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They also were victimized for the first time by Adam Vinatieri, who signed as a free agent after kicking two Super Bowl winning field goals for New England in the final seconds. But he also missed twice in the second half as his once adoring fans booed.

“They are trying to get loud and make it hard on the opposing team and that totally makes sense,” he said. “I wish I had played a little bit better.”

The Colts defense also recovered a fumble and allowed no touchdown passes, only two scoring runs by Corey Dillon and two field goals by rookie Stephen Gostkowski.

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The Colts became the only team to start consecutive seasons at 8-0 since the Green Bay Packers did it three straight years from 1929-31. And for the first time in his brilliant career, Manning has thrown for 300 yards in three consecutive games.

“All anybody wants to talk about with this team is, ’what are you guys going to do in the playoffs,’ “ said Manning, who took the team to the AFC title game just once while reaching the postseason the last four years. “I will enjoy this one for a little while.”

Manning won his second straight game against the Patriots and is 4-10 against them.

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The Patriots had one last chance after Vinatieri missed from 37 yards with 1:55 left. But on the Patriots’ second play, Brady was intercepted by Cato June.

“That was a tough night all the way around,” Brady said. “The defense really kept us in there with as many turnovers as there were.”

The Colts never trailed as Manning threw the first of his two touchdown passes to Harrison, a 5-yarder, on their opening possession.

Patriots safety Rodney Harrison didn’t return after hurting his arm in the first quarter.

“We had to adjust,” cornerback Ellis Hobbs said. “The ship gets rocked a little bit and you make it steady.”

The Patriots defense did that better than the offense.

The Colts began the day tied for 21st in points allowed. But the first sign the defense would be a positive factor came when Antoine Bethea ended the Patriots’ first drive with an interception in the end zone. Manning then drove the Colts 68 yards to his first scoring pass to Marvin Harrison.

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