The Oakland Raiders tested Peyton Manning, and it didn't take the Colts' quarterback long to figure out the answers.
Manning made one perfect read after another, throwing underneath to soften up the Raiders and then sending Edgerrin James slamming through the middle as Indianapolis rolled to a 35-14 victory.
"You come out running the ball, and you realize they're not blitzing,'' Manning said. "If you can block the right guys, the run game should be good.''
The Colts (4-1) won their fourth straight and head into their bye week atop the AFC South. Oakland (2-3) fell to its 12th consecutive road loss, and Jerry Rice failed to catch a pass for the second time in four weeks.
Manning, last year's co-MVP, again was sensational -- especially during the first 30 minutes, when he finished three long scoring drives with touchdown passes.
In the first half of the Colts' two home games this season, Manning has thrown eight touchdown passes. On Sunday, he finished 16-of-26 for 198 yards, his lowest total of the season, with one interception.
James ran for 136 yards on 32 carries and sealed the game with a touchdown run for the third straight week. It was his third 100-yard game of the season.
"It's really a matter of seeing what the other team is going to take away,'' Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "They tried to take away our deep balls today.''
Manning made all the right adjustments, while the Colts' defense did more than enough to stop the Raiders.
Indianapolis limited Oakland to 269 yards, and just 53 yards rushing. The Colts sacked Raiders quarterback Kerry Collins four times and picked off three passes -- with rookie Jason David running one back for a touchdown in the final minutes.
Rice holds the NFL record for consecutive games with a reception, 274, a streak that ended earlier this season.
"I have always pretty much had it in my hands,'' Rice said. "It's different now. I don't know if this situation is going to work out here next year or not.''
For the Raiders, it was more of the same -- turnovers, penalties and an inefficient offense.
An offside call kept alive one Colts scoring drive, and the Raiders also were flagged for two defensive holding calls in the end zone. And Frank Middleton's holding penalty wiped out a 56-yard touchdown run by Amos Zereoue.
Oakland wasn't happy with the result or the officials.
"If they want to put skirts on the offensive players, then put skirts and pumps on them and let them play another game,'' cornerback Phillip Buchanon said.
The bigger problem for Oakland was the Colts' dynamic duo -- Manning and James -- and a deliberate, pounding attack.
Manning started with a 1-yard TD pass to James Mungro. Helped by an offside call against the Raiders on fourth-and-1 at the Oakland 40, he completed another drive with a 35-yard TD pass to a wide-open Reggie Wayne.
Oakland closed to 14-7 when Justin Fargas jumped in for a 1-yard touchdown.
But Manning countered with a 4-yard TD pass to Dallas Clark that made it 21-7 at the half.
James took care of the rest and scored on a 1-yard run, following the two holding calls, to make it 28-7 early in the fourth quarter.
"They're working hard to create balance on offense and they're getting it,'' Raiders coach Norv Turner said. "They're keeping the football. You look at the clock and now it's time to get going.''
The Raiders got within 28-14 when Collins connected on a 21-yard TD pass to Courtney Anderson midway through the fourth quarter. Collins was 28-of-44 for 245 yards with one touchdown, and Ronald Curry caught 10 passes for 72 yards.
"I thought it was as complete a team win as we've had in a couple years here,'' Dungy said.