Jarvis Green poked the ball loose from Manning and fittingly it fluttered right into the arms of linebacker Rosevelt Colvin, an Indianapolis native.
"This is probably one of the most satisfying wins since I've been here," said defensive end Richard Seymour.
The matchup was historic - the first time in league history that two teams with 7-0 or better records had met - and the Patriots' performance was heroic, overcoming a franchise-record 146 yards in penalties, a sputtering offense, and a 10-point deficit with 9:42 to play to remain undefeated.
"Some victories do feel better than others, yes," said linebacker Tedy Bruschi. "This one was one of those that you'll remember. It was a big one and it's very nice to have."
It was one the Patriots almost didn't have. A team that hadn't scored fewer than 34 points in a game and hadn't enjoyed a margin of victory of fewer than 17 points found itself in the unusual position of playing from behind. The Colts held the Patriots to 24 points, 17 below their average.
"We scored enough to win that's what's important," said coach Bill Belichick.
When Manning (16 of 27 for 225 yards, one touchdown, one interception) plunged in for a 1-yard touchdown that made it 20-10 with 9:42 left it looked like the Patriots (9-0) were headed for their first loss of the season and their fourth straight at the hands of the Colts (7-1).
But instead of somber, the Patriots were defiant. Tom Brady (21 of 32 for 255 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions) threw two touchdown passes in the final 7:59 to pull out the win.
"We came in and guys were like, 'It's 60 minutes. We got to keep fighting. It ain't over,' " said cornerback Asante Samuel.
For most of the game, it was the defenses, not the quarterbacks, that were dueling at the dome, as both used multiple-defensive back sets as their base defenses. All those points and yards the Patriots had racked up didn't mean a thing to Indy, which befuddled Brady, who had just 97 yards after three quarters, and frustrated the normally unflappable Patriots into a slew of penalties and complaints.
