INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Cincinnati didn't need Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh on Thursday night.

Not against the Indianapolis Colts' backups.

The Bengals scored touchdowns on their first two series and never gave the Colts a chance to rally, running away with a 27-7 victory in the preseason finale.

Cincinnati kept a handful of starters out of the game, including its three biggest names, and Rudi Johnson, who never made it onto the field. The replacements did just fine.

Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was 5-for-8 for 35 yards with one TD pass to lead the Bengals, and Chris Perry, who is trying to supplant Rudi Johnson at running back, ran 9 times for 20 yards and one TD.

For Indy, it was just another typical preseason game.

After being ravaged by injuries since training camp opened, the Colts took no chance at losing any more key players. Two-time league MVP Peyton Manning dressed for the first time in five games but did not take a snap. Bob Sanders, last year's defensive player of the year, and Dwight Freeney, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, were in street clothes.

And all 22 listed starters were benched.

The result was predictable.

Cincinnati ran nearly as many plays (21) on its first series as the Colts did the entire first half (22). The Bengals also outrushed Indy 64-3 and allowed only three first downs in the half.

Indy's only highlight came when Courtney Roby caught a kickoff 3 yards into the end zone, ran toward the middle of the field, then cut sharply to the left and ran untouched for a 103-yard touchdown.

Otherwise, it was all Bengals.

Coach Tony Dungy spent the short week telling Indy it needed to start making stops on third down.

Instead, he watched the Bengals take nearly 11½ minutes off the clock on their opening possession, converting 5-for-6 third downs and one fourth down before Perry scored on a 5-yard run to make it 7-0.

Three plays later, defensive tackle Domata Peko poked the ball away from Colts quarterback Quinn Gray on a sack. Peko recovered at the Colts' 10, and three plays later, Fitzpatrick hooked up with Glenn Holt for a 9-yard TD pass to make it 14-0.

That was too much for these Colts.

Indy closed to 17-7 late in the half on Roby's kickoff return, and Cincinnati's DeDe Dorsey, a former Colts player, sealed the victory with a 6-yard TD run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The Bengals finished the preseason 2-2, while the Colts were 1-4. Indy is 3-16 in preseason games since Sept. 2004.