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Peyton Manning threw two touchdowns in the Colts' 27-20 win over the Patriots on Sunday night. With the victory, Indianapolis improved to 8-0, two games ahead of its closest competitors in the AFC.

Manning made that clear when he led the Colts to 17 first-half points, scoring every time he had the ball. He was relentlessly on the attack and New England's defense and the creative mind of Belichick had no answers to the problems he was posing. Just as importantly, the Patriots' offense also had no answers to a sometimes porous Colt defense that forced five New England turnovers and, for once at least, reasonably held an opposing running game in check, unlike a week ago when the Broncos gashed it for 227 yards on the ground.

But the Colts most often win with offense and they did that again Sunday night, jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead the first time they got the ball (courtesy of a interception by rookie safety Antoine Bethea) and then keeping the pressure on all night by searing the Patriots' secondary and avoiding their pass rush. In the end, wide receiver Marvin Harrison would have more receiving yards (145 and two touchdowns) than the entire New England wide receiving corps (112 yards, no scores) and Manning would have a second straight win over a team that has made his life miserable for most of the past five seasons.

That won't mean a thing in January, which if they're going to meet again this year is when everything will be on the line. It will be one of those "big games'' Manning and Dungy and the Colts have been accused so often of being unable to win. Until they do, of course, that question will remain. But for now at least, what they did in New England Sunday night will do just fine.

"This was a big win for us,'' Dungy conceded. "Coming in here after going to Denver last week. It's two very, very tough places for us to play. Two good teams. New England makes you work so hard for everything. They actually pressured us and blitzed us more than we had anticipated.

"But the thing I like about our team is we're finding a lot of different ways to win. We still aren't playing our best all the way around but we're finding ways to win. I thought Peyton played well. I guess I'm used to seeing it but this was a very good game by him against an exceptional defense. It helped all week that we didn't have to answer 'Are you ever going to win in New England.' That was nice to get out of the way last year.''

Sunday night's win got nothing else out of the way. The questions about Manning's struggles in the playoffs and his team's failures there have yet to be answered, but one thing has been. He is no longer mesmerized, if he ever was, by Bill Belichick nor overwhelmed by the Patriots' defensive schemes.

Now as for his problems with ice, snow, wind and cold, those are questions to be answered on another day. For now, all anyone can say about the Colts is so far no one has been able to beat them. Not even the iron of the AFC.

For another weekend, at least, not anyone at all.

NFL game stories Quick look at Week 4 games STEELERS 23, RAVENS 20, OT: Baltimore loses first game of season REDSKINS 26, COWBOYS 24: Dallas can't contain Portis in 1st loss BEARS 24, EAGLES 20: Goal-line stand boosts Chicago JETS 56, CARDINALS 35: Favre throws career-high 6 TDs BUCS 30, PACKERS 21: Ryan's 3 FGs lift Tampa CHARGERS 28, RAIDERS 18: San Diego tops rival 10th straight time BILLS 31, RAMS 14: Buffalo 4-0 for first time since 1992 CHIEFS 33, BRONCOS 19: Johnson rushes for 198 yards for K.C. BROWNS 20, BENGALS 12: Anderson throws TD TITANS 30, VIKINGS 17: Tennessee 4-0 for first time ever PANTHERS 24, FALCONS 9: Smith honors Lucas after TD JAGUARS 30, TEXANS 27, OT: Scobey kicks game winner SAINTS 31, 49ERS 17: McAlister scores first TD of year

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