ORCHARD PARK, N.Y., Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The Indianapolis Colts ignored the absence of Edgerrin James and Jerome Pathon Sunday, relying on both the passing and running of Peyton Manning to down the Buffalo Bills, 30-14.
In Week 2, Buffalo suffered a 42-26 thumping at Indianapolis, allowing 534 yards and failing to force a punt. In that game, Manning threw for 421 yards and four scores, James ran for 111 yards and Pathon caught nine passes for 168 yards.
In this one, the Bills did not have to worry about James or Pathon, both of whom were out with injuries. James missed a game for the first time in his career with a hyperextended left knee and Pathon missed his fourth straight contest with a foot sprain.
The Bills were able to somewhat limit Manning, who had just one touchdown pass -- a 15-yarder to tight end Marcus Pollard on the first play of the second quarter to open the scoring. He completed 17 of 27 passes for 199 yards.
However, Manning stunned Buffalo's defense and just about all of the 63,786 in Ralph Wilson Stadium with a naked bootleg, going untouched for a 33-yard scoring run that gave the Colts the lead for good at 14-7 with 9:18 left in the second quarter. Manning had never run for more than 26 yards in a game.
Dominic Rhodes filled in nicely for James, rushing for 100 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries and catching four passes for 45 yards. Last week against Kansas City, Rhodes returned a kickoff 88 yards for a score and raced 77 yards for a touchdown.
The Bills (1-6) could not get untracked as the offense did not score until less than four minutes remained. They fell to 0-4 at home for the first time since 1984, when they started 0-6.
Mike Vanderjagt kicked three field goals for Indianapolis (4-3), which has outscored Buffalo, 134-76, in winning the last four meetings. This was their final meeting as AFC East opponents.
