After barely being able to open my eyes after three helpings of turkey and trimmings on Thanksgiving, I still managed to be conscious enough to watch Indianapolis Colts MVP quarterback Peyton Manning return to his Super Bowl-winning form.

In a 31-13 win over the hapless Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome, Manning passed for 272 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception for a passer rating of 113.0. Manning had his first rating over 100 since a Week 5 win over Tampa Bay and threw for three touchdowns for the third time this season.

Manning was still picked off for the fourth straight game, but managed to shake off three consecutive subpar performances against a dysfunctional Falcons squad. He also played without starting tackles Tony Ugoh (shoulder) and Ryan Diem (ankle) on Thursday and was again without eight-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee).

Harrison has missed the Colts' five most recent games and six of the last seven because of a nagging left knee problem. He has just 20 catches for 247 yards and a touchdown in just five games this season.

Manning has been hooking up with wideout Reggie Wayne more often with Harrison out, but he got a big lift from rookie slot receiver Anthony Gonzalez against the Falcons. Gonzalez had missed the previous two games with a broken thumb, but returned to post 105 yards on six receptions.

Gonzalez had his best day as a pro and took advantage of opportunities in the middle of Atlanta's defense. The former Ohio State standout, who has 21 receptions for 312 yards this season and kept drives alive with a handful of big catches, credited his success to extensive preparation.

"The best part, obviously, is the win," Gonzalez said. "But when you come back from an injury, you never really know how it's going to go. You hope it works out well, so I was fortunate to make some plays and help us out a little bit."

With a healthy Gonzalez back in the lineup and Wayne continuing to play at a high level, Manning seems to have found his rhythm. Wayne had 66 yards and a touchdown on five catches on Thursday and owns three TD receptions over the previous five games. Wayne, who is averaging 107 yards per game over that span, had one of Manning's three touchdown passes during the second quarter to erase a 10-0 deficit in which the Indianapolis defense seemed to be under the drowsy spell of tryptophan.

Meanwhile, tight end Dallas Clark hauled in his first touchdown pass since a Week 7 win at Jacksonville and finished with 49 yards on five receptions.

The Colts couldn't have picked a better time to get their offense rolling after weeks of ineptitude with the ball. Indianapolis, which improved to 8-2 on the season, will host the AFC South-rival Jaguars this Sunday. Indy leads the division over both Tennessee and Jacksonville, which suffered a 29-7 setback to the Colts on October 22 in front of a nationally televised audience.

Manning threw for one touchdown and ran for another score in the first meeting with Jacksonville, and completed 23-of-37 passes for 259 yards with an interception. The Jaguars have a talented defense and their secondary is tough, but it may not be enough again in this big division matchup.

On a defensive note from Thanksgiving, new Colts defensive end Simeon Rice posted his first sack with the team. Rice, who joined the squad off waivers a few weeks ago when Dwight Freeney was lost for the season with a foot injury, sacked Falcons quarterback Joey Harrington for an eight-yard loss late in the first half. Rice is now second among active NFL players with 122 sacks.

That also turned out to be Rice's last sack in an Indianapolis uniform. The Colts waived the veteran rush specialist on Tuesday.

ADDAI LEAVES GAME, BUT RETURNS

Colts second-year running back Joseph Addai is enjoying another successful campaign, but was forced to leave Thursday's win over Atlanta with a neck injury.

Addai exited the contest in the first quarter, but was able to return in the second stanza. He carried the ball 10 times for 44 yards, including a four- yard touchdown run to make the score 28-13. He has 876 yards and nine touchdowns this season.

Rookie running back Kenton Keith took over at running back until Addai returned and rushed for 74 yards on 17 carries.

Addai will get a healthy dose of a Jaguars defense predicated on stopping the run. Jacksonville sports one of the biggest defensive fronts in the NFL and will dish out plenty of shots on Indy's talented tailbacks.

UP NEXT: JAGS VISIT THE RCA DOME

The Colts will close out their regular-season series with the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon from the RCA Dome. Jacksonville is coming off an impressive 36-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills at home over the weekend.

Indianapolis is 10-3 in the all-time series and has won four of the last five matchups, including the above-mentioned Monday night showdown in late October at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

Jaguars starting quarterback David Garrard exited that game early with a left ankle sprain, but is fully recovered for this matchup. Jags running backs Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor will see a lot of action against Indy's mediocre run defense which is spearheaded by Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders.

Indianapolis can not afford to fall behind early like they did against Atlanta, because the Jaguars are not an easy team to play catch-up with. Manning and the offense will be well rested and must attack the air early with Wayne, Gonzalez and Clark. Harrison is considered questionable to return from his knee injury.

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