Denver ? Barreling around the corner like a pulling guard, Peyton Manning cleared the way for an extra 5 yards.

So maybe it wasn’t the best idea to have the quarterback as the lead blocker in a preseason game, but Manning wasn’t about to let up.

Manning had two touchdown passes in the first half, then threw a key block to set up another score as the Indianapolis Colts beat the Denver Broncos, 28-23, Monday night.

“We’re playing on national television and I don’t care if it is the preseason,” said Manning, who finished 15-for-22 for 157 yards.

“You want try to send some kind of message to the other teams and to the country that we feel like we’re going to have a good team this year.”

Recent injuries to quarterbacks Michael Vick and Chad Pennington had some bemoaning the preseason is too long, but Manning played as if it was a playoff game.

He threw touchdown passes to Dallas Clark and Brian Allen in the first half, then was the lead blocker on a 16-yard double reverse by Marvin Harrison on the Colts’ first drive of the third quarter.

Manning had several good shots on Denver cornerback Kelly Herndon on the reverse before walking back to the huddle with a big smile on his face.

Allen scored on a 4-yard run six plays later, stiff-arming Sam Brandon at the line to put the Colts (2-1) up 21-13 with 4:49 left in the third quarter.

“You can’t worry about that. You have to go play,” Colts coach Tony Dungy said of potential injuries to his QB. “Usually, when you’re playing hard, good things happen for you.”

Denver quarterback Jake Plummer was booed in his first home game with the Broncos.

Plummer fumbled his first snap, threw a pass that Colts linebacker Gary Brackett should have intercepted, and missed a wide-open Ed McCaffrey on what would have been an 18-yard touchdown. And that was just on the first drive.

“I don’t think he was nervous,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “I just think he was like everybody else — looking forward to playing the game.”

Plummer was much better on Denver’s second drive, thanks to Ashley Lelie. Plummer rolled out on the first play of the series, thought about running, then pulled up for a pass at the last second. Lelie adjusted to the slightly underthrown ball and made a leaping grab over Mike Doss for a 55-yard TD.

But that was about it for Plummer.

He dropped another snap in the second quarter, then was booed after Anthony Floyd intercepted his overthrown pass on Denver’s first drive of the third period.

It was his final pass before Steve Beuerlein took over midway through the third quarter.

“I’m not too concerned,” said Plummer, who was 15-for-22 for 205 yards. “Things will improve. I’m not happy with the way it ended. Nobody wants to throw a pick on their last throw.”

The Colts sputtered early before getting things going late in the first quarter. After managing just 27 yards on its first two drives, Indianapolis moved 66 yards in nine plays for its first score. Manning capped the drive with a 14-yard pass to Clark.