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Steelers can’t catch Colts

Marvin Harrison outruns Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor on an 80-yard touchdown reception 1:44 into the game and to ignite a 26-7 Indianapolis win on Monday night. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Barry Wilner Associated Press
Marvin Harrison outruns Pittsburgh's Ike Taylor on an 80-yard touchdown reception 1:44 into the game and to ignite a 26-7 Indianapolis win on Monday night. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Colts are shoving aside challengers as if they’ll never be beaten.

Now the Pittsburgh Steelers are out of the way, too.

From their first offensive play Monday night, the unbeaten Colts dominated the Steelers, winning their 11th straight game, 26-7. Peyton Manning hit a streaking Marvin Harrison in stride for an 80-yard score, and the Colts never looked back.

Now they can look forward to the final month of what is becoming an extraordinary season. The 11th team ever to go 11-0 and the first since Denver in 1998, the Colts have beaten three of their main AFC competitors – the Patriots, Bengals and Steelers (7-4) – in a span of four weeks.

“Is it a burden being 11-0?” Manning said, repeating a question. “I never thought of it as that. It’s an honor because of the respect I have for NFL teams.

“It’s hard to win 11 games in a season, let alone the first 11.”

While there are some significant obstacles ahead in their quest to match the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ perfect regular season, such as meetings with San Diego, Jacksonville and Seattle, the Colts should be favored in all five remaining games.

In shutting down Pittsburgh with a staunch, aggressive defense that yielded only 197 yards, the Colts also ended a seven-game slide in this series dating to 1984. Manning hurdled his New England jinx on a Monday night at the beginning of November, and he got his first career victory over Pittsburgh to finish off the month.

They handed Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger his first road defeat; he was 9-0, but couldn’t do much in his first game back after missing three weeks because of knee surgery.

The Colts also set a franchise record with a 10th straight home win in earning their 400th victory, combining the years in Baltimore and Indianapolis.

“We went to New England and beat the AFC East leaders, we beat Cincinnati and Pittsburgh,” coach Tony Dungy said. “Knowing we can beat the good teams and defending our turf is a good feeling.”

Edgerrin James became the first rusher to gain 100 yards against Pittsburgh in 23 games, running for 124 on 29 carries. By contrast, Roethlisberger led the Steelers in rushing with 21 yards until Willie Parker broke a 24-yard run in the final moments.

“I know when I get the ball I’ve got certain things I’ve got to do,” James said. “It’s just a matter of how many times I get the ball.”

The only time Manning had faced the Steelers before in his eight-year career was a 28-10 loss at Pittsburgh in 2002. He passed for 304 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted three times.

On this night, he began another Colts rout, hitting Harrison behind Ike Taylor just 1:44 into the game.

Manning finished 15 of 25 for 245 yards, and Harrison had his 51st 100-yard game (four catches for 128), second in NFL history behind Jerry Rice with 76.