INDIANAPOLIS — It was Peyton Manning’s return, but Andrew Luck ended up the homecoming king.
Luck stole the show in Manning’s first game here in something other than a Colts uniform, throwing for three touchdowns and running for another to lead Indianapolis to a stunning 39-33 upset of the previously unbeaten Broncos at a raucous Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Colts had to sweat out a furious fourth-quarter charge but still managed to end the Broncos’ 17-game regular-season winning streak as Luck — with a couple of big assists from his defense — got the best of his celebrated predecessor.
So much for Colts owner Jim Irsay paying the price for his thinly veiled digs last week at Manning’s poor playoff record.
“It was a huge win,” said Luck, whose 5-2 team has now beaten the Broncos, Seahawks and 49ers this season. “We kept our focus. We didn’t let the outside stuff creep into our locker room. We weren’t going to let anything else distract us.”
Bruised and battered by a relentless Indianapolis pass rush that sacked him a season-high four times, Manning lost a fumble in the end zone and threw a key fourth-quarter interception as Denver (6-1) was knocked from both the ranks of the unbeaten and out of first place in the AFC West.
The Broncos committed four turnovers and all of them contributed mightily to the final outcome.
“There were some [turnovers] where we gave them points or field position, and that was too much to overcome,” said Manning, whose team finished 11 points below its record-setting 44-point average. “It’s disappointing.”
Manning came in leading the NFL in virtually every positive passing category but was never the same after a brutal blindside hit from former teammate Robert Mathis in the second quarter.
Mathis’ sack resulted in a safety and also took something off Manning’s fastball, as he floated passes the rest of the game. He ended up completing 29 of his 49 throws for 386 yards and three TDs, but this obviously wasn’t the same strong-armed Manning who cruised through the season’s first six games.
Manning dismissed questions about his arm strength in the wake of the Mathis hit.
“I throw a lot of wobbly passes,” he said. “A lot of wobbly touchdowns, too.”
Luck didn’t have Manning’s gaudy numbers, but the former No. 1 overall pick continues to get it done on the scoreboard. He completed 21-of-38 passes for 238 yards and three TDs and also ran 10 yards for another score while improving to 10-2 at home in his young career.
The Colts honored Manning’s glittering Indianapolis career with a brief pregame ceremony and invited Marvin Harrison and several of his former teammates to watch, but the niceties ended there.
Irsay ordered the roof open on a 58-degree night in a bit of gamesmanship after Manning had asked as a Colt to always keep it closed, but — thanks to Indianapolis’ relentless pass rush — that wouldn’t be the only time Manning would be made uncomfortable.
Manning nearly engineered an amazing fourth-quarter comeback from a 36-17 deficit, but a deflected throw that led to an interception and a Ronnie Hillman fumble at the Indianapolis 3-yard line sealed the outcome.
Momentum had shifted dramatically in the Colts’ favor in the second quarter on something Manning had seen many times but never experienced for himself — a Mathis sack.
With the Broncos leading 14-10 and facing third down from their own 9, Mathis blew in from Manning’s blind side and obliterated him from behind, forcing a fumble that would have a touchdown if not for linebacker Erik Walden’s dreadlocks.
Walden couldn’t corral the loose ball in the end zone before his hair went past the white line, with the result being Indianapolis had to settle for a safety instead of the go-ahead score.
But the play appeared to energize Luck and the Colts, who scored the next 23 points and never trailed the rest of the way.
“This is about as big as it gets,” Luck said.