OK, the Patriots aren't going to romp every week.

Indianapolis actually gave New England a test on Sunday. It might be the only time the Patriots need to sweat this season.

Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes in a 4-minute span of the fourth quarter to overcome a 10-point deficit and New England remained perfect by beating the defending Super Bowl champion Colts 24-20.

The win in one of the NFL's biggest regular-season games ever made the Patriots (9-0) a strong threat for the NFL's first unbeaten season since Miami did it in 1972.

“This is the first time we were in a ballgame late,” said Brady, who has 33 touchdown passes and is on pace to break Peyton Manning's record of 49 in a season. “There wasn't any loss of confidence or determination.”

Why would there be with Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and a big-play defense on hand?

New England, which had been averaging more than 41 points and had beaten eight opponents by an average of more than 25 points, trailed 20-10 after Manning scored on a 1-yard sneak with 9:42 left.

However, Brady's 55-yard completion to Moss set up a 3-yard TD pass to Welker. Rosevelt Colvin knocked the ball loose from Manning to force a punt on the next series. Then, Brady found Kevin Faulk over the middle for 13 yards for the winning score with 3:15 left.

Jarvis Green knocked the ball lose from Manning and Colvin recovered to clinch it for New England.

“They force you into playing perfect ... keeping the pressure on people, forcing you to play well for all 60 minutes,” said Colts coach Tony Dungy, whose team is 7-1. “They won it in the fourth quarter today.”

Vikings 35, Chargers 17

At Minneapolis, Peterson topped 200 yards rushing for the second time in one season, a feat no other rookie has accomplished. He scored two of his three touchdowns and gained 253 yards in the second half, helping the Vikings (3-5) rally from a 14-7 deficit.

Peterson reached 1,036 yards rushing for the season, putting him on pace to smash Eric Dickerson's rookie record of 1,808 set in 1983. Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards in 1984 could be in reach, too.

Packers 33, Chiefs 22

Brett Favre hit Greg Jennings for a 60-yard touchdown pass with 3:05 to go, giving Favre victories over each of the other 31 teams in the league. It's a career milestone Manning and Brady achieved just one week before.

Cowboys 38, Eagles 17

Nearly two years to the day that Terrell Owens was banished from the Eagles, the star receiver caught 10 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown in Philadelphia.

Tony Romo threw three TD passes, Marion Barber had 106 total yards and one score and the NFC East-leading Cowboys improved to 7-1 for the first time since 1995 - when they last won a Super Bowl.

Saints 41, Jaguars 24

At New Orleans, Drew Brees threw for 445 yards and three touchdowns, and Mike McKenzie returned an interception 75 yards for a score. The Saints (4-4) improved to .500 after opening the season with four losses.

Browns 33, Seahawks 30, OT

At Cleveland, Phil Dawson's 25-yard field goal gave the Browns a comeback win and their first three-game winning streak since 2001. Jamal Lewis rushed for a career-high four touchdowns, the last with 2:17 remaining in regulation, for the Browns (5-3), who trailed 21-6 in the first half. Lewis scored on runs of 2, 1, 2 and 1 yards.

Lions 44, Broncos 7

At Detroit, Jon Kitna threw two touchdown passes and the Lions (6-2) scored twice on defense, doubling their win total from last year and matching the most victories in any season under team president Matt Millen.

Denver (3-5) has its worst record since its last losing season in 1999, and the banged-up team took more hits when quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Travis Henry were sidelined with injuries.

Titans 20, Panthers 7

Albert Haynesworth had three of the Titans' season-high seven sacks as host Tennessee got its third straight victory. The Titans held an opponent to 14 or fewer points for the sixth time this season and limited Carolina (4-4) to a season-low 191 yards total offense. Travis LaBoy also had a sack and his first career interception for Tennessee (6-2), and Chris Hope picked off backup Matt Moore with 2:13 left to seal the victory.

Redskins 23, Jets 20, OT

Shaun Suisham tied a franchise record with his fifth field goal, a 46-yarder with 7:43 left in overtime. He also had kicks of 46, 40, 22 and 40 yards.

Buccaneers 17, Cardinals 10

At Tampa, Fla., in addition to Tanard Jackson's second-quarter interception, which set up a field goal, the Bucs limited the Cardinals to one first down and 78 yards total offense in the opening half. Arizona (3-5), averaging 337.3 yards per game, finished with a season-low 195.

Bills 33, Bengals 21

Rookie running back Marshawn Lynch had a career-best 153 yards rushing, including a 56-yard TD run that put the game away with 2:22 remaining. He also had an 8-yard touchdown pass to Robert Royal that put host Buffalo ahead for good.

Falcons 20, 49ers 16

Warrick Dunn became the first Atlanta back to run for 100 yards this season, while fullback Ovie Mughelli had the first TD rushing in his career. Dunn rushed for 100 yards on 27 carries, including a 9-yard touchdown. Mughelli scored on a 1-yard plunge with just his third carry of the season.

Morten Andersen handled the rest of the scoring for the host Falcons (2-6) with two fourth-quarter field goals.

San Francisco (2-6) lost its sixth in a row with another dismal offensive performance as leading rusher Frank Gore (sore ankle) didn't play.

Texans 24, Raiders 17

Sage Rosenfels connected with Andre' Davis on a 42-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter that helped visiting Houston (4-5) snap a three-game skid.

Getting his first start of the season in place of the injured Matt Schaub, Rosenfels produced little until after the Raiders (2-6) cut a 17-point deficit to seven early in the fourth quarter.

Ron Dayne, who rushed for a season-high 122 yards, bulled his way to the Oakland 42. Then Davis sped past cornerback Stanford Routt and caught the long TD pass that gave the Texans a 24-10 lead.