Colts offense rolls in another win

INDIANAPOLIS -- For the early part of the season, the focus on the Indianapolis Colts has been on quarterback Peyton Manning and the league's No. 4 passing attack. In Sunday's 35-14 win over the Oakland Raiders, running back Edgerrin James reminded everyone that he's still a force on this team, and other teams had better pay attention.\nThe Colts (4-1) rode the legs of James as he carried most of the load, rushing 32 times for 136 yards and one touchdown as well as catching two passes for 19 yards.\n"The guy is playing great for us right now," Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said. "I think this is his 35th 100-yard game in 70 games. So to go half the time that you play to have a 100-yard day, that's phenomenal. When he's running the way he has been running this year, it sets everything else up. It keeps us in short yardage situations, sets up our play action and really makes our unit go."\nAs the Colts came into this week's game, its defense ranked last in the league overall and it continued to struggle with injuries. But this week the defense held the Raiders to 14 points, a season low for the defense. The unit also forced three Kerry Collins interceptions with one returned by Jason David 34 yards for a touchdown.\n"We kind of take pride making some big plays out there," David said. "People think that we are such a bad defense, but I think this game kind of set the tone for the rest of the season ... Everyone was out there contributing, and that's what you need to have a great defense."\nThe Colts' offense took little time getting on the board and taking the lead when Manning hooked up with James Mungro on a one-yard touchdown pass just six minutes into the game. Indianapolis scored two more times in the first half with touchdown passes to Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, and led 21-7 at the half. Manning finished the day 16 of 26 for 198 yards and three touchdowns.\n"The Raiders have a very talented squad and a lot of big play athletes, and we had some guys that had to step up and play bigger roles than they normally do," Dungy said. "They did it well. I thought it was as complete a team win as we've had in a couple of years here."\nIt was in the third quarter that James took over. He rushed the ball eight times for 65 yards, which was more yards than he had in the first half. James finally broke into the end zone a minute and a half into the fourth quarter, capping off a drive in which he carried the ball six times for 30 yards.\n"From the first game in New England and throughout, he has run the ball very effectively, broken tackles, hit the holes very well," center Jeff Saturday said. "You have to take your hat off to the guy. He's playing great football right now."\nOn the day, the Colts rushed for a total of 150 yards, giving the team and Dungy a very balanced offensive attack.\n"They were matching up on our receivers and trying to take away the big plays up the field," Dungy said. "So in that situation, you have to run the ball and our offensive line, we kind of told them after the first series of the game, it was going to by that type of day. They did a good job. I thought Edgerrin ran well, and Dominic (Rhodes) ran well when he got in there."\nThe Colts now enter a bye week, which will give the team a chance to rest up and get people healthy. They return to action Oct. 24 in an important AFC South battle against Jacksonville. But for now, Manning and the rest of the Colts are happy to be playing the way they are and hope it continues the rest of the season.\n"We're disappointed that we're not 5-0, but we are 4-1," Manning said. "But no question, in a short time we have come out of the blocks playing really good football, and I thought today might have been the best overall effort team wise. It was true Colts football with all three phases contributing, and the key now is to just keep going."\n-- Contact staff writer Tyler V. \nHoeppner at thoeppne@indiana.edu.