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FOXBORO, Massachusetts (Ticker) -- Michael Bishop, Drew Bledsoe and punter Lee Johnson all threw key passes for the New England Patriots, who intercepted Peyton Manning three times en route to a 24-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Bishop's first NFL pass attempt was a 44-yard touchdown to Tony Simmons on a "Hail Mary" on the final play of the first half. Bledsoe put New England (2-4) ahead for good on the first play of the fourth quarter with a two-yard TD toss to tight end Eric Bjornson. Just 7 1/2 minutes later, Bjornson caught an 18-yard pass from Johnson on a fake field goal, one play before Bledsoe found Terry Glenn for the clinching four-yard touchdown. Bledsoe completed 15-of-22 passes for 142 yards for the Patriots, who were outgained, 408-301, but recorded their fifth straight home win over the Colts (3-2). Manning posted gaudy numbers, going 31-of-54 for 334 yards and a touchdown. But he tied a career high with three interceptions and was sacked twice. Indianapolis got three field goals from Mike Vanderjagt but remained winless at Foxboro Stadium since November 19, 1995. "They were certainly good on defense and had a good pass rush, but we brought some of that upon ourselves with missed assignments and missed communication, which resulted in sacks," Manning said. Vanderjagt's 33-yard field goal extended the Colts' lead to 10-3 with 10 seconds left in the second quarter. But Simmons returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards to the Indianapolis 44. On the next play from scrimmage, Bishop, who spelled Bledsoe for one running play earlier in the game, heaved the ball into the end zone and Simmons outleaped several defenders for the tying touchdown. "I guess it was my first pass," said Bishop, a third-year pro. "You throw it up to a certain area and hope that one of your receivers can jump up and get it. And that's what Tony did on that play. It's great to make a play like that and get the momentum for your team." "I didn't get bumped at all. That was weird," added Simmons. "Usually when they throw that pass, I never even make it down the field. After I caught it, I dropped to my knees to make sure I was inbounds because I had no idea." Colts safety Chad Cota called the late touchdown the turning point. "I remember the ball being thrown up real high, but I got screened out and didn't quite see the ball come down," he said. "It had a lot to do with the momentum switch. It was just one of the mental breakdowns we committed. That was an example of not making the plays we needed to today." The Colts took the second-half kickoff and embarked on a marathon 22-play drive that consumed more than 10 minutes. After reaching the Patriots' 5 on second down, receiver Marvin Harrison was penalized for pass interference and Manning threw a pair of incompletions before Vanderjagt kicked another 33-yard field goal. New England held the ball for the rest of the third quarter, a 77-yard drive that carried into the final period and ended with Bledsoe's short scoring pass to Bjornson. "We showed a lot of character after their 22-play drive, coming back and getting that score," said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. "Then our defense made big plays the rest of the way." Indianapolis again penetrated Patriots' territory on its next possession, but Manning was intercepted by cornerback Ty Law at the 39-yard line. New England's drive stalled at the Colts' 22, but Johnson hit Bjornson for an 18-yard gain on the Patriots' first fake field goal since September 8, 1996. Bledsoe hooked up with Glenn on the next play for his sixth TD pass in two weeks, giving New England a 24-13 cushion. "Quarterback controversy, ha ha ha," Bledsoe said. "I know my role. There are two other quarterbacks around here doing amazing things." After the teams traded punts, Manning was picked off by safety Tebucky Jones, who returned it 20 yards into Indianapolis territory. The Colts' next possession also ended in an interception as rookie cornerback Antwan Harris grabbed Manning's pass at the Patriots' 20. Manning did move Indianapolis 62 yards in just over a minute, leading to Vanderjagt's 34-yard field goal with 36 seconds to play. But Bjornson capped a big day by recovering the ensuing onside kickoff. New England's Adam Vinatieri opened the scoring with a 21-yard field goal in the first quarter, but Harrison caught a 17-yard TD pass midway through the second to put the Colts in front. Harrison also had a huge game with 13 receptions for 159 yards. Edgerrin James accounted for 109 total yards, carrying 24 times for 75 and catching three passes for 34. "This was certainly a well-executed, good game for us today," Belichick said. "We had some big plays that set up some scores, but we also contained their running game and got good pressure on Peyton. That's a big reason for our success in that second half."
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