INDIANAPOLIS -- Nobody is questioning the Indianapolis Colts now.

	Edgerrin James became the first AFC running back to reach the 1,000-yard mark.

After a second consecutive 3-13 season, the Colts traded Marshall Faulk and took Edgerrin James with the No. 4 pick in the draft, rather than Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. The controversial moves seemed risky at the time, if not outright foolish.

Not anymore, thanks to the flashy trio of James, quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Even coach Jim Mora is astounded the Colts have come so far so fast.

"I didn't expect us to be 8-2 after 10 games, I really didn't," Mora said. "You go into every season optimistic, but you never know how you're going to do over the course of the season.

"But after coming off a 3-13 season last year with still a relatively young team and some new players, a new defensive system, a second-year quarterback, I expected us to be better, but ... I didn't anticipate we'd have this record."

The biggest surprise has been James, who is on pace to break Faulk's club records for rushing by a rookie and for total yards from scrimmage, and has a chance to break Eric Dickerson's Colts single-season rushing record of 1,659 yards.

The only question is why there was any doubt to begin with. James had no doubts, that's for sure.

"Nobody puts more pressure on me than I put on myself. I want to do well," he said. "I'm in the NFL. This is my dream, and I've always said that once I get to the NFL, I'm going to try to make the best out of it."

Indianapolis is tied with Miami for first place in the AFC East. The Colts have won six consecutive games for the first time since the franchise moved from Baltimore in 1984, and with a victory over the New York Jets on Sunday they can match their best start since 1977.

"Every day, I'm working and trying to get better, because you never know how long it's going to last," James said. "And you want to be remembered for being one of the great players of the NFL."

James rushed for a career-high 152 yards and two touchdowns and caught five passes for 47 yards and a third TD in Sunday's 44-17 victory over Philadelphia. Manning passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns, and Harrison had five catches for 60 yards and one TD.

"Edgerrin has exceeded my expectations, and he is getting better every week," Mora said. "This guy approaches the game like a true pro. He's very serious about it, he works hard every week. He gets himself ready to play, and he goes out and plays hard and tough and physical and efficiently on Sunday. He's a good football player."

The former University of Miami star leads the AFC and is second in the NFL with 1,006 yards rushing and tops the league in total yards from scrimmage with 1,420; Harrison leads the NFL with 69 receptions, 1,056 yards and 12 touchdowns; and Manning is the league-leader with 2,754 yards passing.

Through 10 games, James is boasting better stats than either Williams or Faulk, who set an Indianapolis record with 2,227 rushing and receiving yards last year but was traded to St. Louis for second- and fifth-round draft picks.

James also has scored nine touchdowns, compared with five by Faulk and two by Williams. He has rushed for at least 100 yards in an NFL-best seven games, one behind Dickerson's team record and two behind the NFL rookie record held by four players.