The Jets were determined to double-cover Indianapolis WR Marvin Harrison and take away the deep passing game. So the Colts just harried them with the no-huddle, dissected them with short routes and showed that for every defense Gang Green has, they have a better offense.

Indianapolis rolled to a 45-24 win yesterday that had the 78,606 at Giants Stadium booing loudly during a four-TD second quarter. Between Edgerrin James’ running, Peyton Manning’s cunning and Jerome Pathon stepping up for Harrison, the Jets had no answer for the Colts’ no-huddle.

“We had a good game plan. I could tell we were going to get guys open, with all the stuff we’ve been planning,” Manning said. “It really felt like we were setting the tempo out there. We had a good rhythm going. Everybody was fatigued, their guys and ours, but it felt like our guys could suck it up and keep pushing.”

The Colts had an 11-play drive and a pair of 10-play marches as well. Manning said that with teams keying on their deep passing game, they’d be content to take what the defense allows and pick teams apart slowly. Consider the Jets’ secondary picked.

Manning finished 22-of-32 for 231 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. And with Harrison doubled, Pathon caught eight balls for 93 yards and a 21-yard touchdown. The Colts’ wideouts feasted on quick outs and buttonhooks, and Manning had no trouble finding them.

James, who won NFL rushing titles his first two years, carried 28 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns. The 28 points the Jets allowed in the second quarter tied a club record, and the 45 points the Colts put up were the most they’d scored against Gang Green since 1975.

“Any time you have a quarterback like Peyton, he’s going to get us in the right situation,” James said of Manning, who audibled repeatedly. “For every defense, there’s an offense: It’s just a matter of putting us in it.”