Manning, Colts D on Fire as Cards Misfire

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Peyton Manning's four-touchdown performance was a headline-grabber in the Indianapolis Colts' emphatic 31-10 road victory Sunday night over the reeling Arizona Cardinals.

So was emerging offensive star Pierre Garcon, the Colts' second-year receiver who caught three passes for 64 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown reception down the right sideline with 1:52 remaining before halftime in a game that proved totally one-sided after a tight opening quarter.

That play was the third of Manning's three second-quarter touchdown passes -- Reggie Wayne caught a 20-yard scoring pass and tight end Dallas Clark snared a 10-yard TD -- and all of them put this contest out of reach for the Cardinals (1-2), who are now 0-2 at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Garcon, who has improved each week as a speed-burner replacement for injured starter Anthony Gonzalez, was matched up multiple times against Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and he burned Arizona's left cornerback one-on-one on the scoring catch. Wayne had seven catches for 126 yards against a Cardinals' defense that seemed out of position all night.

"We had to figure them out and see what they're doing, and then attack their weaknesses," said Garcon, who has grown so comfortable with Manning, he began suggesting plays along the sideline.

Manning's final scoring throw, a 3-yard TD pass to Joseph Addai, was set up by a 72-yard toss to wide-open rookie running back Donald Brown, who capitalized on a key block by Garcon to break free on the option route.

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"Huge play. I've got to feel it was some kind of blown coverage," said Manning, who completed 24 of 35 passes for 379 yards and a passer rating of 130.5. Sunday's win was also the 18th game in his NFL career that Manning's thrown at least four touchdown passes. He did have a first-quarter pass intercepted by Cardinals free safety Antrel Rolle, but that would be one of the few memorable plays for an Arizona secondary that was routinely shredded throughout the game.

Said Addai, "You know, the crazy thing is, when you've got guys like Peyton, Reggie, Dallas, you never know what's going to happen. You know it's just a matter of time that it's going to happen.

"I think for us, in this game, it was just a matter of knowing it was eventually going to work out. We have a great defense, so you just have to trust it's going to happen. And when it got rolling in the second quarter, you saw what happened."

Arizona fumbled three times in the first half, losing one, and that turnover early in the second quarter sent the game spiraling out of control for the home team.

On the play, Cardinals running back Tim Hightower was rocked by a Melvin Bullitt tackle, and Colts free safety Antoine Bethea scooped up the loose ball at the Indianapolis 5-yard line, which may have been lousy field position for anyone but Manning on a night like this.

He systematically drove the Colts 95 yards to the first of three second-quarter touchdowns, connecting with Wayne for the score.

"We just got hot," said Manning, who was unhappy with the Colts' sloppy first quarter, after which they trailed 3-0. "We had an aggressive game plan, wanted to spread them out a little bit. It was a little frustrating early, coming out with three-and-outs and you hate to do that on the road.

"But our defense did a great job keeping us in it, forcing some turnovers. We could have easily fallen in a hole."

No doubt. This was a Colts defense that was coming off playing a remarkable 84 snaps in a Week 2 Monday night victory at Miami -- but it still managed to force two Arizona turnovers (a fumble and interception) inside the Colts' 10-yard line.

"This game is about getting the ball. Get the ball. Turn it over and get that offense back the ball. We did a good job," said defensive end Dwight Freeney, who twice sacked quarterback Kurt Warner but left the game at the start of the fourth quarter with a right quad injury. Freeney will undergo an MRI exam on Monday.

The quick turnaround from Monday's night's exhausting effort to another prime-time road game could have proved crippling, but Colts coach Jim Caldwell recalled that his team experienced a similar potential schedule-killer three years ago. So he was prepared.

"In 2006, we played Jacksonville on a Monday night and then we came back and played Carolina on Sunday," said Caldwell, who is 3-0 in his first year as Tony Dungy's replacement. "I took a look at the schedule and made some modifications I thought were necessary."

The Colts run defense rendered Hightower (9 rushes, 22 yards) and rookie Beanie Wells (2 rushes, -2 yards) non-factors, and forced Warner to go to the air repeatedly. Problem was, Warner was hurried and beaten down all game long by Bethea and Freeney.

Warner threw 52 passes and had 332 passing yards. But he was sacked four times and tossed two interceptions trying to get his offense in sync.

And catch-up football only proved more fatal for the Cardinals and Warner, whose early fourth-quarter interception put Indianapolis in position for an Adam Vinatieri field goal and the three-touchdown advantage.

Vinatieri's kick sent the University of Phoenix Stadium crowd for the exits. By the time Warner was chased down and dumped for a whopping 28-yard sack with 6:30 remaining, Cardinals fans were heading for the doors and loudly booing the quarterback that took their team to the Super Bowl last season.

"I'm very disappointed to lose two games at home like we did," Warner said, "but that's our job -- to go out and play better, because we know our fans are going to show up and help us create a home-field advantage."