Manning sets rookie passing records
Panthers come back to beat defenseless Colts 27-19
Posted: Sunday December 27, 1998 07:05 PM
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Follow the bouncing ball: Luther Brougton (right) coughed up one of three Carolina fumbles in the Panther win AP |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Not even Peyton Manning's record
passing could offset the Indianapolis Colts' horrid
defense.
For the fifth time this season, the Colts blew a double-digit lead, and
second-half touchdowns by Michael Bates, Tim Biakabutuka and Raghib Ismail lifted the
Carolina Panthers to
a 27-19 victory on Sunday in what could have been Dom Capers' final game as
coach.
"Today's game makes a statement about the will of this team," Capers
said. "This season has been a big test for all of us, and at times it's
been extremely difficult when you go through the frustrations and
disappointments."
Nine of Carolina's 12 losses were by seven points or less, and several
newspapers last week reported Capers would be fired at the end of the
season.
"I can't tell you any more than I could two weeks ago," Capers said of
his future. "Really, there's obviously been a lot of distractions, a lot of
things that could take this team off course. My focus was to do the very
best job I could and not waste time on things you have no control
over."
Manning, who set NFL rookie records for attempts, completions, yards
and touchdowns, gave the Colts a 13-3 lead with a 44-yard TD pass to Marcus Pollard early in
the second quarter. But Indianapolis (3-13) managed only a pair of field
goals by Mike Vanderjagt after that.
"This game mirrored our seeason," Colts coach Jim Mora said. "These are
things we've done all year, and it hurt us all year long. We've had a
terrible time stopping the run, and they got after us real well today.
"I thought we would be better than this (defensively)," Mora said.
A 99-yard return by Bates on the second-half kickoff pulled the
Panthers (4-12) within 3, and on the next possession, a 46-yard pass from
Steve Beuerlein to
Ismail set up a 5-yard TD run by Biakabutuka to put Carolina ahead to
stay.
Faulk's quest of becoming only the second player in NFL history with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season fell 92 receiving yards short AP | |
A 42-yard field goal by Vanderjagt closed Indianapolis to 20-19 at the
end of the third quarter, but once again, the Colts defense fell apart in
the final period. Biakabutuka, who rushed for 109 yards, left with a
strained muscle in his knee, but replacement Fred Lane carried seven
times for 59 yards on a nine-play drive that set up Ismail's 5-yard TD
reception with 3:16 to go.
Biakabutuka will have an MRI on Monday.
"It actually happened two times in the game. The first time I got up
and walked it off," he said. "The second time, I just couldn't get up."
The Colts had two more possessions after Ismail's TD, but Manning, who
was 17-for-34 for 225 yards, was intercepted both times, by Eric Davis and Lenny McGill, and the
Panthers ran out the clock. Manning, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft,
finished with rookie records of 3,739 yards, 326 completions, 575 attempts
and 26 touchdowns.
"It was kind of the same old story," Manning said. "We played the first
half and established a lead, and the second half we made some mistakes and
gave them a few plays, just enough to give them a lead and then we're
unable to come back in the end."
The Colts' Marshall
Faulk rushed for 72 yards and caught four passes for 30, pushing his
NFL-best total yards from scrimmage to 2,227. He finished 92 yards in
receptions short of joining Roger Craig as the only players in NFL history
with 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in the same season.
Panthers linebacker Kevin Greene, who returned
after a one-game suspension for shoving assistant coach Kevin Steele,
sacked Manning on the first play of the game and broke his own team season
record of 141/2 sacks.
"My job is go to out and play as hard as I can and as physical as I can
to help this team win," Greene said. "I can't predict what will happen
[with Capers]. I will say Dom is a class act." Extra points
Manning has thrown at least one TD pass in a rookie-record 13 straight
games and became the eighth QB since 1970 to take all of his team's snaps
for the season. ... Before the game, Colts president Bill Polian presented
a framed jersey to 11-year linebacker Jeff Herrod, who is not
expected to return next season. ... ... Faulk's four receptions broke
Reggie Langhorne's single-season club record of 85. ... Bates' 99-yard TD
was the Panthers' only kickoff return for a touchdown this season. He
returned four for 152 yards for the game.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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