Colts keep firing to stretch their winning run

NFL AMERICAN FOOTBALL:THE INDIANAPOLIS Colts kept rolling on Sunday with a victory in Houston that stretched their winning start to the season to 11 games. Quarterback Peyton Manning led the Colts once again, throwing three touchdown passes as Indianapolis staged a fourth-quarter rally to beat the Texans 35-27 in an all-AFC South match-up.

In the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals tightened their grip on the division with a 16-7 win over Cleveland, moving to 8-3 for the season and sending the Browns to a 10th defeat in 11 games under new coach Eric Mangini.

For the Bengals it was the perfect response to an upset loss last week at the Oakland Raiders, their defence limiting the Browns to one third-quarter touchdown as Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer threw one touchdown pass and Shayne Graham kicked three field goals.

Atlanta’s play-off hopes as a potential wild card received a boost as the Falcons came from behind at home to beat the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-17, thanks to a fourth-quarter touchdown catch from wide receiver Roddy White. The Falcons now move to 6-5 behind the unbeaten New Orleans Saints in NFC South.

The New York Jets got back to winning ways with a much-needed 17-6 home victory over the Carolina Panthers at the Meadowlands.

Both teams had gone into the game with 4-6 records, the Jets’ first-year head coach Rex Ryan and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez under intense pressure to turn around a losing season. Ryan had his defence to thank for a first victory in four games, restricting the Panthers to three field goals while corner back Darrelle Revis picked off two interceptions on Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme, including a 67-yard return for the opening touchdown.

The Philadelphia Eagles beat NFC East rivals Washington 27-24 to close the gap on divisional leaders Dallas with a 7-4 record, the Cowboys beating Oakland on Thursday to move to 8-3. The Redskins slumped to 3-8 with the fourth successive home defeat of the campaign.

In upstate New York, the Buffalo Bills scored a 31-14 win over the Miami Dolphins while in the NFC West the Seattle Seahawks beat divisional rivals St Louis 27-17 to move to 4-7 with the Rams slipping to 1-10.

Brett Favre threw for 392 yards and three touchdown passes as the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings sent divisional rivals Chicago to a 36-10 defeat in Minneapolis.