Bob Sanders' big hits have finally paid off in a big way. The two-time Pro Bowler signed a five-year contract extension Friday, a deal that will keep him with the Indianapolis Colts through 2012 and makes him one of the league's highest-paid safeties.

All that talk about defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis being better this season just might be true.

It took the Indianapolis Colts one half to shake off their post-Super Bowl hangover. Then Peyton Manning and friends came alive to beat New Orleans 41-10 Thursday night in the NFL's opener, running away in the final 30 minutes with a championship-caliber performance.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. _ Lucky for the Indianapolis Colts, they have the weekend off. They desperately need the time to heal, regroup and fix their glaring deficiencies.

Maddeningly meticulous and impeccably precise, this was Peyton Manning at his cruel best.