Now that's more like it

It's simplistic, but not erroneous, to say that the Colts-Bengals game came down to emotions. The Colts were back home, embraced by their fans and eager to erase the embarrassments of the last couple weeks. Mission accomplished. From the first sack by Dwight Freeney, the Colts disrupted the Bengals' offense, and established an attack mode, something that's been lacking most of the season.

Meanwhile, Peyton Manning and the offense returned to form in the 34-16 win. The breakdown:

Passing game: Manning was 29 of 36 for 282 yards, and could have had more. If he'd had all season to work with Ricky Proehl, they probably would have connected on the one pass that ended up behind Proehl. Manning had a great quote, saying he came into the game thinking two things: No. 88 and No.87. Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne proved again that when they're at their best, they are the best 1-2 (1-1A) receiving punch in the NFL. Harrison hurt his finger, but he'll be back.

Running game: Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai combined for 102 yards rushing -- a solid, necessary number. Addai suffered an ankle sprain on his 41-yard run that set up a touchdown, but coach Tony Dungy said he doesn't believe it's serious.

Pass defense: Three sacks by Dwight Freeney, another sack by Raheem Brock and multiple hurries on Carson Palmer. The band-aid secondary of Matt Giordano and Dexter Reid did a nice job, with Giordano's hit on Chad Johnson joining Freeney in setting the tone.

Run defense: Yes, there was one. Amazing. Encouraging. Clearly, Rob Morris (seven tackles, five solos) jumped at the chance to get back in the lineup, and he performed well. The Colts could still use the fast-closing Bob Sanders. We'll see.

Special teams: Terrence Wilkins' rare fumble led to the Bengals only touchdown. Otherwise, it was a solid night and the combination of Adam Vinatieri's kickoff placement and coverage limited the big plays.

Coaching: Dungy seemed more intently into this game than any in recent times, whipping out that challenge flag early. The offensive decision to rely on the short passing game the Bengals were allowing proved perfect to racking up the points and eating the clock.

Overall, it was the Colts' best game since their win at New England. With the Texans and Dolphins ahead, this could end up being a strong finish, raising (false?) hopes of a playoff run again. The Colts remained flawed, but they looked inspired Monday night. If that can be sustained, anything is possible.