Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. ó The Tennessee Titans keep winning, and not even Peyton Manning could stop the NFL’s only undefeated team.
LenDale White ran for two touchdowns, Chris Hope intercepted Manning twice and the Titans routed the Indianapolis Colts 31-21 Monday night.
The Titans (7-0) have won an NFL-best 10 straight regular-season games, matching the second-best streak in franchise history. More importantly, Tennessee grabbed control of the AFC South away from the team that has dominated this division in winning the past five titles.
Kerry Collins outplayed Manning, throwing for 193 yards with no interceptions.
Coach Tony Dungy had called this a must-win for Indianapolis to have any chance at winning the division, but now his Colts (3-4) have lost two straight in their worst start since Manning’s rookie season. The Colts trail Tennessee by four games in the loss column with nine games left and New England visiting on Sunday night.
Manning had the Colts up 14-6 in the third quarter on two touchdown passes to Dallas Clark against a Tennessee defense that came in having allowed only one TD pass through the first six games.
But the Titans came up big after tying it at 14 with 3:21 left in the third.
The NFL’s stingiest scoring defense stopped the Colts on fourth-and-short on consecutive drives at the end of the third and start of the fourth.