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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- There's more to the Indianapolis Colts than
Peyton Manning and the other members of the triplets, Marvin
Harrison and Edgerrin James.
Terrence Wilkins for one. A defense led by Chad Bratzke for
another.
|  | | Terrence Wilkins gets away from the Jaguars' Rich Griffith for a 21-yard gain. Wilkins had nine catches for 148 yards and one TD in his 2000 debut. |
Manning passed for a franchise-record 440 yards and threw for
four touchdowns as the Colts dominated the second half to beat
Jacksonville 43-14.
Wilkins, playing his first game of the season, chipped in with
nine catches for 148 yards and a touchdown. And the defense that
blew a 21-point lead at home to Oakland two weeks ago showed up
this time, sacking Mark Brunell five times -- once for a safety -- and
picking off a pass that set up a score.
"It was good for us to show people that we have other
weapons," Manning said of Wilkins, who looked like the second
receiver the Colts need to take pressure off Harrison.
"If they do double team Marvin, we can beat them with other
guys."
The defense thrilled coach Jim Mora.
"They took a lot of criticism, a lot of it from me and from the
media," Mora said. "They shut them down in the second half, they
got sacks, turnovers, played extremely well. You don't beat teams
like Jacksonville with just three players. You do it with complete
offense, with defense and with good kicking game performance."
But it was Manning's show as the Colts went on a 22-0 run in the
second half after leading by only a touchdown at halftime.
After throwing three interceptions in his first two games, he
was perfect Monday night, starting with a 76-yard TD pass to
Harrison on the Colts' third play from scrimmage. Manning also had
a 27-yarder to Wilkins and a 16-yarder to Jerome Pathon as
Indianapolis (2-1) took a 21-14 lead.
Manning added a 4-yarder in the final quarter for the first
four-touchdown game in his two-plus NFL seasons. James completed
the scoring with a 14-yard TD run.
Manning, who was 23-for-36, broke his own team
record of 404 yards set against San Diego last Sept. 26. Johnny
Unitas' top total was 401 for Baltimore.
Wilkins, who missed the first two games with a concussion,
almost doubled his career high of five catches as a rookie last
year.
"I just seemed to connect with Terrence during the off-season
and in training camp," Manning said. "It was good to have him
back."
The Indianapolis defense, which entered the game with one sack,
had five this time, two each by Bratzke and Ellis Johnson. Bratzke
sacked Mark Brunell for a third-quarter safety, the first safety by
the Colts since 1997. Mike Peterson had an interception that set up
one of the first-half TDs.
"It was just a debacle," Jacksonville coach Tom Coughlin said.
"That was about as big a nightmare as it gets."
Brunell was 21-for-35 for 229 yards for Jacksonville (2-2) with
touchdown passes of 9 and 26 yards to Jimmy Smith. But after
getting 159 in the first half, Brunell had only 3 yards in the
first 25 minutes of the second half, while the Colts were putting
away the game -- in the third quarter, the Colts outgained the
Jaguars 143 to minus-2.
Fred Taylor, who played his first game of the season for
Jacksonville after missing the first two with a knee injury, ran
for 57 yards on 14 carries.
The game started with an explosion, the 76-yard bomb from
Manning to Harrison behind Aaron Beasley on the Colts' third play
from scrimmage.
Then it settled down until midway through the second quarter,
when Brunell hit Smith with the 9-yarder that was first ruled out
of bounds, then overturned on replay.
It turned out to be the first of four touchdowns, two by each
team, in the final 7:36 before intermission.
But the second half was no contest as the Indianapolis defense
asserted itself. Mike Vanderjagt's 41-yard field goal and the
safety made it 29-14 after three quarters and two quick TDs in the
final quarter put it away.
"Peyton stayed in the pocket and made some good throws. They
made some good catches," Jacksonville cornerback Fernando Bryant
said. "That's the bottom line. You give them time, someone's going
to be open."
This night, it was Wilkins.
That only makes it scarier for opposing defenses.
Game notes
The injuries on Jacksonville's offensive line continued when
center John Wade left in the first half with a strained right foot.
... Harrison's 76-yard TD catch was the longest of his career. ...
It was the third worst lost in Jacksonville's history. ... The
safety by the Colts was their first since Oct. 5, 1997 against the
New York Jets. ... Manning's four touchdown passes were the most by
a Colts quarterback since 1997. ... It was Jacksonville's first
lost outside the AFC Central since Dec. 20, 1998, when the Jaguars
lost in Minnesota.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
Jacksonville Clubhouse
Indianapolis Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Peyton Manning talks with Eric Dickerson after the Colts' blowout win on Monday night.
wav: 267 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Terrence Wilkins feels he can make plays against single coverage.
wav: 162 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Jimmy Smith says the turnovers hurt the Jags on Monday night against the Colts.
wav: 104 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Peyton Manning says the Colts offense showed they can spread the ball around.
wav: 144 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Tom Coughlin says the Jags have to be strong to survive this big loss.
wav: 165 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Chad Bratzke describes his sack that gave the Colts 2 points.
wav: 160 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mark Brunell says it's time for the Jags to show their true character.
wav: 187 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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