Sports Betting..... Indianapolis Colts - NFL Teams...

The Indianapolis Colts' took another step towards a perfect season with a good win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Peyton Manning, quarterback, passed for 245 yards and two touchdowns and James rushed for 124 yards to give the Colts a deserved win, 26-7.

Indianapolis became only the eleventh club to start a season 11-0 since the NFL began in 1920. The last team to beat them on winning starts, was the Denver Broncos in the 1998 season, who won their first thirteen games before losing. Only one team has had a perfect season in NFL history, the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who won all their regular season games and all three post-season games.

The Indianapolis Colts finally left Gilette Stadium with their heads held high - and still unbeaten. Peyton Manning who had faltered badly in losing all seven of his last road games against the New England Patriots, finally began to fire with 321 passing yards and three touchdowns, as the Colts won the game 40-21 on Monday night.

The Colts became the sixth team since 1990 to start a season 8-0 and the first since the Kansas City Chiefs opened 9-0 two seasons ago. The Chiefs finished with an impressive 13-3 record but were eliminated from the play-offs in the first round.

Manning was successful with 28 of 37 throws, including a 1-yard toss to Marvin Harrison on the game's first possession and a 10-yard strike to Reggie Wayne in the second quarter, that gave the Colts a commanding 21-7 lead at half-time. He added a 30-yarder to Harrison with 5:53 left in the fourth quarter.

"We were really set on coming out here and getting a lead on these guys," Manning said. "We haven't had a lead on these guys in quite some time. The play (at the end) to Marvin was huge. And the play to Reggie before the half was really big, to get the touchdown and have momentum going into halftime."

The Colts finished with 453 total yards against the injury-hit Patriots (4-4), which had handed them six consecutive defeats and knocked them out of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. This was the Colts' first victory in the series since 2000.

"It's good to come up here and get a win," said Tony Dungy. "We've got five wins on the road, and that's a good deal. But it means no more than that."

Manning set the tone on the second play from scrimmage. He found Harrison for a 48-yard connection. That duo soon combined on a 1-yard fade pass, with Harrison leaping over Asante Samuel to make the catch in the end zone.

Tom Brady ending with 22-for-33, 265 yards and three touchdowns, responded with a 16-yard score to Deion Branch, but the Colts hit back with a 17-play, 69-yard drive ending with a 2 yard touchdown for James'.

"They completely outplayed us tonight," said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. "They made more plays than we did."

Manning was successful and brilliant, but no doubt aided by a Patriots defence obliterated through injury. The Colts are still the NFL's only undefeated team.

The Colts will be confident going into the big regular season game on Monday night against the Patriots - who wouldn't be at 7-0 for the season? Beating New England would be big for Indianapolis - it would lay some demons to rest and perhaps propel them to a Super Bowl appearance.

The Colts want to lock up home-field advantage in the playoffs with a first-round bye. They can go some way to achieving this on Monday night.

Of course the bye could prove to be an "issue" - in their past nine games after a bye, the Indianapolis Colts are only 3-6. They come into the Patriots game after a bye week too.

One has to assume that the Colts have learned their lesson - that over time this stat will even out. Everyone has to deal with a bye and generally welcome them.

The Colts must be favorites on current form - but Gillette Stadium has not been a joyful experience for them in recent visits - and the Patriots will be up for this one.