INDIANAPOLIS -- Pittsburgh's gamble to start the second half failed, and the Indianapolis Colts made them pay for it as they took a 23-7 lead after the third quarter, earning the undefeated Colts their 11th win in a row, 26-7.\nThe Steelers opened the second half by trying an onside kick, but rookie Matt Giordano recovered for the Colts at the Pittsburgh 37. Seven plays \nlater, Peyton Manning hooked up with tight end Bryan Fletcher on a 12-yard touchdown pass, Manning's second of the game. That gave Indy a 23-7 lead and forced the Steelers to abandon their powerful ground game.\nIt also capped a quick turnaround that started in the final minute of the first half.\nPittsburgh was driving when Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted by Mike Doss with 15 seconds left in the second quarter. A 15-yard penalty for a low block on center Jeff Hartings put the Colts at the Steelers 45 and Manning positioned Mike Vanderjagt for a 44-yard field goal, his third of the game, to make it 16-7 as time expired.\nThe Colts, the NFL's last unbeaten team, appeared headed toward a blowout early when Manning connected with Marvin Harrison for an 80-yard TD pass on Indy's first offensive play. Manning then drove the Colts into position for a 29-yard field goal from Vanderjagt to make it 10-0 9 minutes into the game.\nPittsburgh stayed closed, though, thanks to some uncharacteristic mistakes by the Colts. They drew three personal foul calls in the first quarter, another in the second and another in the third.\nManning, the NFL's two-time MVP, also was off. A poorly thrown ball was picked off by Troy Polamalu and returned to the Colts 7. Roethlisberger then threw a 12-yard TD pass to Hines Ward to make it 10-7.\nPittsburgh had a chance to tie the score early in the second quarter, but Jeff Reed pushed a 41-yard field goal wide left.\nTwo series later, the Colts took over at the Pittsburgh 36 and Vanderjagt converted with a 48-yarder to make it 13-7.\nThen came Roethlisberger's big mistake and the failed kickoff, which gave the Colts control.\nHarrison had three receptions for 126 yards through three quarters, his 51st career 100-yard game. That broke a tie with Don Maynard for the second-most all-time. Only Jerry Rice, with 76, has more. Manning and Harrison have connected on an NFL-record 91 TD passes.
The Steelers were trying to extend a 34-game streak of not losing back-to-back contests, which dates to the middle of the 2003 season. Last week, Pittsburgh's franchise-record 11-game road winning streak ended in Baltimore.\nRoethlisberger, who returned to the lineup after missing the last three games because of knee surgery, looked rusty at times and was sacked twice.\nPart of the problem may have been the loss of left tackle Marvel Smith in the second quarter because of an injured left ankle. He missed last week's game with a sprained ankle.\nPittsburgh has dominated this series, winning nine straight games over the Colts. Indianapolis' last victory over the Steelers was on Oct. 21, 1984.\nThe Steelers' three losses this season have all come on the final possession of the game, and they have been by a total of 12 points.
