Defense sparks Colts yet again

INDIANAPOLIS – When the Indianapolis Colts score 45 points, it’s usually because of Peyton Manning and the offense.

Not Monday night.

Cato June had two interceptions that set up two touchdowns and Nick Harper had an interception and a fumble recovery to set up scores as the Colts overcame a 17-0 deficit to beat the St. Louis Rams 45-28 and remain the NFL’s only unbeaten team.

Edgerrin James helped things along with 143 yards rushing on 23 carries and three touchdowns and Manning had two touchdown passes, including a record-setter to Marvin Harrison.

“They weren’t letting us pass downfield,” said Manning, the NFL’s MVP the last two seasons. “It used to be teams wouldn’t let us run the ball and we had to throw. Now it’s the opposite. They won’t let us pass.”

The Rams, playing without ailing coach Mike Martz, lost quarterback Marc Bulger to a sprained shoulder in the second quarter after he led St. Louis to the early lead.

But it was almost all defense for Indianapolis.

Dwight Freeney chipped in with a forced fumble for the Colts (6-0) and Robert Mathis took over the NFL sack lead with seven – he has at least one in every game this season. That provided the field position that allowed Indianapolis to run 36 consecutive plays in St. Louis territory in the last 27 minutes of the game.

“We got down early but we didn’t panic on the sideline,” Colts coach Tony Dungy said. “We kept our spirits up and we played a lot better in the second, third and early in the fourth quarter.”

Bulger, who was 6 of 8 for 121 yards and a touchdown, was hurt when he was blocked by David Thornton on the first of the interceptions by June, a third-year linebacker and former college safety who leads the NFL with five picks. It came less than three minutes into the second quarter and led to James’ 8-yard touchdown run.

Jamie Martin took over at quarterback for the Rams (2-4) and could do little but throw underneath until late in the game. He threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Cam Cleeland for a meaningless TD that made it 45-28.

Manning finished 22 of 32 for 191 yards. His 6-yard TD pass to Harrison with 9:25 left in the game set a record of 86 TDs for a passer-receiver combination. Manning and Harrison had been tied at 85 with San Francisco’s Steve Young and Jerry Rice.

That came after the defense had pushed St. Louis back to its own 2 on a sack by Mathis.