OAKLAND, Calif. — Jake Plummer threw a slant pass toward Rod Smith when Kirk Morrison stepped in front, seemingly poised for an interception and maybe even a touchdown return.

He dropped the ball. That's the kind of season it's been for Plummer: Even when he makes mistakes, somehow he escapes unscathed.

Now, his Denver Broncos are in command of the AFC West.

Plummer passed for 205 yards and a touchdown, had no interceptions and wasn't sacked, and Jason Elam kicked three field goals to lead Denver past the Oakland Raiders, 31-17, yesterday.

"You saw it today, there was somebody looking out for me, football love, or something like that," Plummer said. "That ball was in No. 52's hands. He should have run it back for a touchdown, but it fell to the ground. There have been a lot of balls that have been tipped up during my time in the league that have sat up there and hovered like a spaceship. I've been marked as a guy who has thrown a lot of picks."

Twenty last season. He has three this year.

Plummer worked tirelessly to eliminate all the mistakes that plagued him in the past. He's been near perfect, catching some long-awaited breaks.

"I just dropped the ball," Morrison said. "You have to make that play, especially at that time of the game. I could have helped our team swing the momentum and help us win the game."

Darrent Williams did that for Denver. He had a 52-yard punt return to set up the Broncos' first touchdown, then made an 80-yard interception return for a fourth-quarter score that ended Oakland's chance at a comeback.

Former Hawai'i star Ashley Lelie caught passes of 41 and 38 yards as the Broncos (7-2) took a two-game division lead after the Kansas City Chiefs lost 14-3 at Buffalo. Mike Anderson ran for a 1-yard score and Denver looked sharp coming off its bye week, methodically handling the Raiders (3-6) on both sides of the ball.

Oakland quarterback Kerry Collins couldn't do much right in his worst game of the year. He completed 26 of 50 passes for 310 yards, doubled his season total with three interceptions and was sacked four times.

"I'm real disappointed in the way I played," Collins said. "It's pretty simple. I need to play better. I can't do the things I did today."

COLTS 31, TEXANS 17

INDIANAPOLIS — For the second straight week, Peyton Manning threw three touchdowns and Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James each topped 100 yards, helping Indianapolis (9-0) remain unbeaten with a win over overmatched Houston (1-8).

"In this offense, it can be anyone's day," said Manning, who was 26 of 35 for 297 yards. "But when you see it on film, we do spread it around. ... It can put the defense in a bind."

Harrison caught seven passes for 108 yards, including a 30-yard TD pass that made Manning and Harrison the first duo in NFL history to account for 10,000 yards. James carried 26 times for 122 yards — his 47th career 100-yard game, tying him with Pittsburgh's Franco Harris for the eighth most in league history.

"They have so many weapons, you just can't let up (on Manning)," Texans linebacker Antwan Peek said. "But it's tough to stop them all."

STEELERS 34, BROWNS 21

PITTSBURGH — For many NFL teams, all these quarterback injuries might ruin a season. Pittsburgh simply plugs in another player and keeps winning.

Charlie Batch improvised a 1-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter, and his passing led to another score before he left with a broken right hand as the Steelers (7-2) withstood their second QB injury in three weeks to beat rival Cleveland (3-6).

Tommy Maddox replaced Batch (13 of 19, 150 yards) to run a time-consuming offense in the second half, and college QB-turned-wide receiver Antwaan Randle El threw a 51-yard scoring pass to Hines Ward on a reverse early in the third quarter to put the Steelers up 24-7.

"It's really weird," Maddox said of a recent streak of injuries that also claimed starting QB Ben Roethlisberger. "Sometimes you don't need anybody. Sometimes you need to use everybody."

Batch is expected to be out at least two games, according to coach Bill Cowher, but Roethlisberger could return Sunday at Baltimore.

BILLS 14, CHIEFS 3

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — J.P. Losman discovered something about himself while he spent the last month stewing on the sideline.

The angrier he is, the better he plays.

Losman replaced starter Kelly Holcomb (concussion) in the second quarter and finished 9 of 16 for 137 yards and two touchdown passes to Lee Evans as Buffalo (4-5) beat Kansas City (5-4).

"I like playing mad. I like playing upset," Losman said. "I loved the way I was concentrating. I loved that anger."

The Bills had three interceptions, a fumble and six sacks. Kansas City's three points were the fewest Buffalo has allowed since beating New England 31-0 in the 2003 season opener.

Chiefs quarterback Trent Green was 23 of 40 for 220 yards and three interceptions — after throwing three in his previous eight games.

PATS 23, DOLPHINS 16

MIAMI — Tom Brady brought injury-riddled New England (5-4) from behind twice in the second half, hitting backup tight end Benjamin Watson with the go-ahead TD pass with 2:16 to play.

"As usual, Tom played his best football when it counted," said Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who was missing four offensive starters and lost running back Corey Dillon when his leg tightened after just two plays.

Following Brady's TD pass, Gus Frerotte drove Miami (3-6) 70 yards to the 5 with a minute remaining, but his fourth-down pass went off Chris Chambers' fingertips in the end zone with 36 seconds to go.

Brady was 21 of 36 for 275 yards, while Frerotte went 25 of 47 for a season-high 360 yards.

JAGUARS 30, RAVENS 3

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville went nearly four years without scoring 30 points — an NFL-record streak that players and coaches had grown tired talking about.

They finally ended it, thanks to Kyle Boller and the Baltimore Ravens.

Greg Jones ran for a career-high 106 yards and a touchdown, Matt Jones had a career-high 117 yards receiving and a score and the Jaguars (6-3) ended their dubious streak by routing the slumping Ravens (2-7).

"We can finally put that 30-point thing to rest," said Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio, whose team had gone 58 games without scoring at least 30 points. "We got that done and out of the way."