Reid: Embarrassing Performance

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ Peyton Manning reverted to his old form
Thursday night.

Michael Vick might do the same next week.

With Vick staying home, Manning threw two touchdown passes in
three series to lead the Indianapolis Colts to a 23-15 win over the
Philadelphia Eagles.

It was the Colts' first preseason win since 2005, and a dramatic
improvement on the 13-3 loss to Minnesota in their preseason opener
last Friday.

``I don't think anybody offensively was really happy with what
happened last week,'' Manning said. ``It started with me and the
entire offensive starting unit. Overall, I thought everybody came
back and did a better job tonight.''

Manning drove the Colts 81 yards for a touchdown on their first
series, threw a 76-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne and finished 10 of
14 for 167 yards in less than 11 minutes.

Philadelphia played without eight starters and Vick, who could
return to action next week for the first time since serving a
prison term for bankrolling a dogfighting operation. The Eagles
play Thursday against Jacksonville.

 The absence of so many players caused problems for the Eagles,
who committed 12 penalties, allowed three sacks and had two
turnovers -- both leading to scores for the Colts.

`All in all, that was an embarrassing performance and way too
many penalties, not enough intensity all the way around, starting
with me,'' Eagles coach Andy Reid said. ``It was a poor
performance.''

Aside from the Eagles' first scoring play  -- a perfect 39-yard
strike from Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson, who split two
defenders down the middle of the field to make it 14-7 -- little
went right.

Manning opened the game with a 12-play, 71-yard drive and beat a
Philly blitz to hit Anthony Gonzalez in the corner of the end zone
for a 3-yard TD.

After Manning fumbled deep in his own territory, Dwight Freeney
swatted the ball away from McNabb and Indy's Keyunta Dawson
recovered.

Manning took advantage right away, finding Wayne down the left
sideline on the next play. Wayne scooted down the sideline, then
made a nifty inside cut near the 10-yard line to avoid a defender
for a 76-yard TD to give Indy a 14-0 lead.

The Colts made it 17-7 when Shane Andrus made a 24-yard field
goal late in the first half and added two more field goals by
Andrus in the second half.

Philadelphia didn't score again until Adam DiMichele hooked up
with Brandon Gibson on a 21-yard TD pass with 26 seconds to go.


   
 

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