Colts can pass on the passing game and still succeed

INDIANAPOLIS -- Peyton Manning can sense the changes. After throwing 46 touchdown passes, he sees defenses finally trying to mix things up against the Indianapolis Colts.

Last week against Houston, Manning threw two TDs in the first 12 minutes and didn't throw another all day as the Texans dared the Colts to win on the ground.

Today, Manning expects to face more complicated maneuvers from the Baltimore Ravens.

"I think some defensive coordinators feel we have to throw the ball," said Manning, last year's league co-MVP. "But I'll bore you to death by checking to the run. We'll do whatever it takes to win."

The Colts (10-3) have proven their mettle by steamrolling defenses with mind-boggling precision and record-breaking numbers all season. They're hoping tonight is no different:

* Manning needs three TD passes to break Dan Marino's 20-year-old season record of 48.

* Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley and Marvin Harrison are all closing in on 1,000-yard seasons and could become the first receiving trio to achieve that since the 1995 Falcons and only the fourth ever.

* Stokley, who left Baltimore for the Colts, needs one more TD reception to give the Colts three receivers with 10 TD catches, which would be the first time that's happened in the NFL.

* Edgerrin James leads the league in rushing, and if he wins his third rushing title, the four-year gap since his last one in 2000 would be the longest since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

* The offense is on pace to break Minnesota's scoring record (556 points), even after enduring its lowest output of the season at Houston (23).

Baltimore (8-5) knows it will take more than its usually staunch effort to slow down Indianapolis.

"They're in sync in a way that only the great offenses can be," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "They're fully dimensional, and they've taken it to another level."

Manning's quest for the touchdown record, football's version of the season home-run mark, has overshadowed the other accomplishments, and now he has a perfect stage to rewrite history.

The game will be on national television and pits Manning against one of the league's top defenses and the franchise that brought football back to Baltimore after the Colts left in 1984.

Could the Colts ask for anything more?

"We would like it to go away as soon as possible," Colts coach Tony Dungy said, referring to Manning's record chase. "I was hoping we could break it two weeks ago, so we could put it behind us. But it's something we're going to have to deal with until it does get broken."

On paper, it's a classic matchup between a high-scoring offense and an aggressive defense.

For the Ravens, though, there's also the focus on making the playoffs.

In a race for one of the AFC's two wild-card spots, they cannot afford another loss. The Ravens trail the New York Jets (9-4) by one game, are tied with Denver and lead Buffalo (7-6) and Jacksonville (7-6) by just one game.

To keep pace, they must hold Manning & Co. in check.

The Ravens are the biggest obstacle Indianapolis has faced this year. Of the 10 teams the Colts have played, only Jacksonville and New England rank among the top 15 in total defense. Baltimore is sixth overall, seventh against the pass, and has allowed just 10 TD throws and one touchdown longer than 20 yards.

Manning's preparation this week included film sessions of watching his brother, Eli, get mauled by the Ravens, and he thinks he knows what to expect.

"You watch, this will be a grind for us Sunday," Manning said. "They've got great players and multiple schemes. They gave a rookie quarterback a lot of looks last week, and they're going to give me a lot of looks."

The last time the teams played, in 2002, Manning was 30-of-40 for 284 yards with one TD and one interception.

Those are modest numbers compared to what Manning has achieved this season. But he believes the Ravens will test him.

"I'm telling you, it feels like it's getting harder," Manning said.