– The Associated Press

LANDOVER, Md. – The Indianapolis Colts did all they could to stop themselves.

They lost three fumbles in the second half, and Peyton Manning threw three passes that should have been intercepted in the first half. And, instead of killing the clock with a three-point lead in the final 3 minutes, they threw three straight incompletions to give the Washington Redskins plenty of time to tie or win it.

Yet Manning was able to complete enough passes, and Joseph Addai was able to break enough tackles against the league’s most generous defense as the Colts made up for their mistakes by accumulating 470 yards Sunday night in a 27-24 win.

Manning completed 25 of 38 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts (4-2), who kept pace with the Houston Texans atop the AFC South. Addai ran 17 times for 128 yards and a score, giving a boost to a largely dormant running game before leaving in the second half with a shoulder injury. Pierre Garcon caught four passes for 103 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown.

Donovan McNabb was 29 of 45 for 246 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for the Redskins (3-3), who fell a game behind the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants in the NFC East. Ryan Torain ran for 100 yards on 20 carries, his first 100-yard game as he subs for the injured Clinton Portis.

But the Redskins, who seem to make every game suspenseful despite a defense that gives up well over 400 yards per game, made it a tight once again. McNabb went 10 for 11 on a 92-yard fourth-quarter drive that cut the Colts’ lead to three, hitting Keiland Williams for a 5-yard touchdown pass with 2:46 remaining.

Then the Colts, who live by the pass, nearly died by the pass. Starting at his own 20 with 2:42 to play, Manning had two passes broken up by Phillip Buchanon and one by LaRon Landry. After a punt, the Redskins got the ball back at their own 38 with 2:13 to go and all three timeouts — but McNabb threw long and incomplete on fourth-and-10.

The Redskins got the ball back with under a minute to go, but McNabb’s long pass was picked off — one-handed — by Aaron Francisco.

Manning threw 27 passes in the first half alone, and the Colts piled up 294 yards before halftime while building a 17-7 lead.