Indianapolis ? Willie McGinest refused to let a bad knee slow him down Sunday.

With 14 seconds left and the Colts a yard away from completing another fourth-quarter rally, McGinest got around the right side of the offensive line and caught Edgerrin James in the backfield to preserve New England’s 38-34 win.

The Patriots won their eighth straight game, the longest streak in the NFL, and improved to 10-2 for the first time in franchise history. McGinest’s game-saving tackle typified the Patriots’ charmed season.

“When it came down to it for the gusto, our guys came with it on the goal line,” said McGinest, who saved the game just two plays after limping off with a knee injury. “That’s how you want to win it.”

Indianapolis (9-3) dropped out of first place in the AFC South, at least momentarily, for the first time this year. Tennessee plays the New York Jets tonight.

As for the Patriots, each week they seem to find another player to fill in — and another way to win.

“I was thinking, ‘It’s looking pretty bleak,”‘ linebacker Ted Johnson said of the final drive. “But are you guys surprised? With this team?”

While Tom Brady played well Sunday, it was kick returner Bethel Johnson who turned the game and McGinest, the once feared Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker, who secured it despite the knee injury.

“I wasn’t going to sit on the sideline,” McGinest said.

Indianapolis running back Edgerrin James (32) is stopped by the Patriots' Mike Vrabel, top right, on the one-yard line in the final seconds of the Patriots' 38-34 victory. The Colts failed to score from the two-yard line on four attempts and turned over the ball, thus ending Sunday's game in Indianapolis.

Even before Peyton Manning tapped his rear end, telling McGinest it was a run instead of a pass, the Colts were in trouble.

Tight end Dallas Clark left early in the second quarter with a fractured right fibula. Fullback Detron Smith left in the first half with a right knee injury, and running back James Mungro, Indianapolis’ short-yardage runner, was out with a foot injury.

That forced the Colts to go with something other than their power-package, and it didn’t work.

James ran for one yard on first down from the two, then went nowhere on second down. Manning tried to connect with rookie Aaron Moorehead on third down, but Moorehead got tied up on the line of scrimmage.

Manning called timeout to set up the final play, and when he got to the sideline, he realized the predicament.

“We didn’t have the goal-line offense,” Manning said. “Everybody was in street clothes over there.”

The Colts tried to run anyway, and McGinest blew it up.

All Manning could do was slap the field in disgust.

The rest of the game was just as wild.

New England pulled to a 31-10 lead behind the solid play of Brady, who finished 26-of-35 for 236 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, the strong running of Michael Cloud, who scored twice, and Johnson’s kickoff returns.

But Manning valiantly rallied the Colts from a 21-point deficit for the second time this season.

He converted Brady’s first interception into a 13-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne.

Three plays later, Brady was picked off again. On the next play, Manning threw a 26-yard strike to Marvin Harrison to make it 31-24 with 14 seconds left in the third quarter.

On the Colts’ next series, Manning tied the score with a six-yard TD pass to Troy Walters. It was the Colts’ third touchdown in less than six minutes. Manning was 29-of-48 for 278 yards with four touchdowns and one interception.

Bengals 24, Steelers 20

Pittsburgh — Jon Kitna’s third touchdown pass, an 18-yarder to Matt Schobel with 13 seconds left, finished off a last-minute Bengals drive. Cincinnati (7-5) not only won its sixth in seven games to set up a first-place showdown this week in Baltimore, the Bengals all but eliminated the Steelers (4-8), who had won six of the last nine division titles in the AFC North or Central. The Steelers are one loss away from their third losing season in the last five. Tommy Maddox, who was 28-of-42 for 313 yards, gave Pittsburgh its first lead at 20-17 with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward with 1:05 remaining.

Ravens 44, Niners 6

Baltimore — Ray Lewis returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown to cap a 17-point flurry in the second quarter. One week earlier, the Ravens trailed Seattle by 14 points at halftime and by 17 in the fourth quarter before rallying to win. Baltimore (7-5) took a far easier path against the 49ers, building a 24-6 halftime lead before coasting to the most lopsided victory in franchise history. It was San Francisco’s worst loss since a 41-3 defeat against Jacksonville in September 1999. The 49ers (5-7) are 0-6 on the road.

Rams 48, Vikings 17

St. Louis — Marshall Faulk ran for three touchdowns and 108 yards, his third straight 100-yard game after going 10 without one. The Rams (9-3) solidified their NFC West lead — they’re tied with the Eagles for the best record in the NFC — and won their 12th straight home game. The North Division-leading Vikings (7-5) are sinking fast after a 6-0 start. Faulk scored on runs of 18, 5 and 7 yards. He has 127 touchdowns, passing Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Jim Brown for fifth on the career list.

Eagles 25, Panthers 16

Charlotte, N.C. — Donovan McNabb overcame his first interception in six games to lead the Eagles (9-3) to their seventh consecutive victory. Philadelphia committed two turnovers, snapping a streak of four consecutive games without a giveaway. McNabb ended his run of 127 attempts without an interception when Mike Rucker picked him off on the first play. Brian Westbrook fumbled away a punt return, and the Eagles also failed on a two-point conversion try.

Texans 17, Falcons 13

Houston — Michael Vick finally returned from a broken right leg suffered in preseason, but he was too late to save the Falcons’ season or their game against the Texans. Domanick Davis struck for two touchdowns, and David Carr made his own unplanned appearance to lead the second-year Texans (5-7) to a franchise-high fifth win. Vick, the top overall draft choice in 2001 who set an NFL rushing mark for quarterbacks with 1,066 yards over his first two seasons, made his debut with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter. He completed a nine-yard pass to Justin Griffith on his first play for Atlanta (2-10).

Seahawks 34, Browns 7

Seattle — The Seahawks moved to 7-0 at home. Matt Hasselbeck threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns, while Shaun Alexander rushed for 127 yards and another TD. Darrell Jackson had eight receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns, while Koren Robinson caught six passes for 122 yards. It was the first game in franchise history the Seahawks (8-4) had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and two 100-yard receivers.

Broncos 22, Raiders 8

Oakland, Calif. — Clinton Portis carried 34 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns, and the Broncos held Oakland without a touchdown for the first time this season. All the Broncos (7-5) really had to overcome was the wet weather — the raucous Raider Nation was subdued for a change. What little success Oakland (3-9) had moving the ball was more than offset by its untimely penalties and other mistakes. The Raiders were penalized 11 times for 89 yards and lost three fumbles.

Saints 24, Redskins 20

Landover, Md. — Deuce McAllister did everything but score for the Saints (6-6). He had his ninth consecutive 100-yard rushing game, running for 165 yards on 30 carries and catching four passes for 31 more. Aaron Brooks ran for two scores and passed for another, but McAllister handled the ball on 35 of New Orleans’ 67 offensive plays. His ninth consecutive 100-yard game ties him for third all-time with Walter Payton and Fred Taylor. Barry Sanders holds the record with 14.

Bears 28, Cardinals 3

Chicago — With Chris Chandler sidelined by a sore shoulder, Kordell Stewart threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score. Brock Forsey, a rookie from Boise State, started for Chicago (5-7) in place of leading rusher Anthony Thomas, out with viral pneumonia. Forsey gained 134 yards and scored on a nine-yard run.

Bills 24, Giants 7

East Rutherford, N.J. — Drew Bledsoe shook off the effects of a concussion and threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns. Buffalo (5-7), which snapped a four-game slide, had not scored a road TD since Week 2, but Bledsoe threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dave Moore and a 22-yarder to Bobby Shaw in a 17-point second quarter. Travis Henry finished with 113 yards rushing. The Giants (4-8) have lost four straight.

Jaguars 17,

Buccaneers 10

Jacksonville, Fla. — Jimmy Smith reached his milestone early, caught a touchdown late and sent Tampa Bay reeling toward playoff elimination. Smith made a diving 48-yard touchdown catch with 10 minutes left, lifting Jacksonville. Tampa Bay (5-7) fell three games behind NFC South leader Carolina and three behind Seattle for the last wild-card spot. The winning catch was only one of the night’s nice moments for Smith, who caught a season-high 10 passes for 136 yards to lead the struggling Jaguars (3-9).