Shouldering the load

As for the curious route running that marked the day, Manning said, “New England was moving their coverages, so it wasn’t anything on Pierre. Pierre made a couple of big, huge plays during the second half.”

This has got to be tough on Manning. Just one year ago, he was quarterback of an undefeated team that wound up in the Super Bowl. Manning’s pick six was the deciding play late in that Super Bowl.

Now the Colts are 6-4 and Manning’s going to have to supersede his four MVP seasons if he’s going to take this team anywhere.

“We have not been good enough on the road this year,” he said. “All four of our losses are on the road. That’s disappointing. We’ve been a good road team in the past. Usually, to be the kind of team that you really want to be, you have to be able to win on the road.”