Blowing the early opportunities, Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said, “can be the difference in the game.”

Those opportunities were the difference in the game, once the offense started blowing more of them in the second half.

With the Patriots concentrating on shutting down Addai (187 total yards in the first half, 39 in the second), the Colts’ passing game needed to take advantage. It couldn’t. Manning can be blamed for the interception he threw straight to Harrison after New England went three-and-out on its first second-half drive. The rest falls on his teammates: Wayne’s third-quarter drop; fourth-quarter penalties on the linemen that killed momentum on two drives; and Johnson’s whiffing twice against Colvin on Manning’s blind side to allow him to force two fumbles, including one with 2:34 left on what ended up being the Colts’ last possession.

Manning finished 16-of-27 for 225 yards, respectable numbers against the NFL’s No. 5 pass defense, which entering the RCA Dome had allowed 181.5 yards per game. Addai became the first Colt ever to gain more than 100 yards rushing and receiving (112 rushing, 114 receiving). Even with the late breakdowns, the defense never shrank away from the Patriots, holding them 17 points under their usual per-game average.

So the problems, as Dungy liked to say about last year’s terrible Colts run defense, are fixable. Gonzalez, diagnosing how to dry out the receivers’ buttery fingers, said: “You just have to catch the ball. There’s nothing extravagant about it. And at least Ugoh, Hagler and Keiaho should be coming back soon, though reports vary wildly on Harrison — he’s either coming back soon, or his career is over.

Slideshow   The Week in Sports Pictures A kayaker flips out, a racehorse eyes the Triple Crown and more. more photos

Plus, the Colts are 7-1, and have more to worry about than just the Patriots. They are only one game ahead of Tennessee in the AFC South, for one thing. “The game’s over, we’re going home, the fans have left, we’re moving on,” safety Bob Sanders said. “The season is not over with. We’re going to keep on moving.”

True, a loss to New England is not the end of the world. The loss also doesn’t turn Manning into a big-game loser again. But it is still a major blow to the Colts’ hopes at winning a second straight title. That might be one reason why Manning won’t call out his teammates for their mistakes. He has too much to do to help get them back on the right track so they are ready for a more difficult game. Like, say, a January playoff matchup in Foxborough.

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