INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning finally found a way to get the Colts’ offense in gear Sunday.
He used the pass to create running lanes, mystified the Houston defense with gashing plays, wore down the Texans with a steady repertoire of no-huddle offense and got his teammates playing at full throttle.
This is how Manning believes Indianapolis can win. The master of efficiency produced five straight scoring drives, twice erasing Houston leads, and led the Colts to a 33-27 victory.
“We’re a no-huddle team and we won because we never took our foot off the gas,” Manning said. “That was nice today.”
Manning finished 30-of-46 for 320 yards with two touchdowns and magnificently mixed plays in the second half when Houston (3-7) couldn’t keep pace.
Indy produced a season-high 474 yards in its third straight victory.
Houston’s defense wasted Steve Slaton’s best day of the season. Slaton ran 14 times for 156 yards, breaking the franchise’s single-game rookie record, and he scored on a 71-yard run, the longest in team history. But it wasn’t enough for the Texans to avoid a third straight loss.
