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Chargers brace for red-hot Colts

Jan 3, 2009 - 1:40 PM Indianapolis (12-4) at San Diego (8-8), Saturday, 8 pm EST

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- After squeaking out a three-point win in San Diego in late November, the Indianapolis Colts probably didn't figure on seeing the Chargers again this season.

Guess again.

The Chargers came back from the dead with four straight wins to close the season and will host the streaking Colts in a wild card game on Saturday night.

Despite having the worst record of any team in the playoffs, San Diego earned a first-round home game with a season-ending 52-21 victory over Denver that clinched the AFC West crown.

"This is obviously history, the way we trailed the division and how we've now won it," quarterback Philip Rivers said. "We know the expectations we set out with and how high they were at the start of the year. All we've done is reopen some of those goal and some of those expectations now that we've got ourselves into January."

In the playoffs for the third straight season, the Chargers will have their hands full with red-hot Indianapolis, which closed out the season with nine consecutive victories, including a 23-20 win in San Diego on November 23 on Adam Vinatieri's 51-yard field goal as time expired.

The Chargers, however, have had more success against the Colts than most opponents, having won their previous three meetings, including a 28-24 playoff victory at Indianapolis last season.

"We know them as well as a division opponent," Chargers safety Eric Weddle said. "We've been playing very well since we last played them."

San Diego lost four games in the final 24 seconds this season but they enter the postseason on a roll. The Chargers have hung up 93 points in their last two victories, routing Tampa Bay, 41-24, before manhandling the Broncos.

The late surge enabled San Diego to become the first in league history to snare a postseason berth after starting the season 4-8. The Chargers also are the first team to win their division after trailing by three games with three to play.

"This is obviously history, the way we trailed the division and how we've now won it," Rivers said.

Rivers is a big reason for the success. He finished 15-for-20 with 207 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, putting him over 4,000 yards (4,009) for the season and giving him a league-high 34 TD passes.

In the first meeting against the Colts, Rivers more than held his own against Indy's Peyton Manning, completed 24-of-31 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

The Chargers could have some major injury woes to deal with, however. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 96 yards and three touchdowns but left the game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury. Tight end Antonio Gates also suffered an ankle injury.

"I don't know how bad it is, I think it's just a strain," said Tomlinson, who was hampered by a knee injury in the postseason a year ago.

San Diego will need to be in top health to slow down the Colts, who capped the season with a 23-0 victory over Tennessee in a game that meant nothing to either team.

Manning was perfect in limited duty, finishing 7-of-7 for 95 yards, including a 55-yard TD toss to running back Joseph Addai.

The pass to Addai put Manning over 4,000 yards for the ninth consecutive season, extending his own league record.

"It's always exciting to be in the playoffs and to be in the mix," Manning said.

Indianapolis appeared it would be out of the mix after a 3-4 start that including a pair of narrow victories at Minnesota and Houston.

However, after a 31-21 loss to then-unbeaten Tennessee on October 27, the Colts ran the table to earn their seventh consecutive playoff berth.

"It's a little bit of a different feeling than last year," Colts head coach Tony Dungy said. "We played well and wanted to get off to a fast start. I was proud of our guys and the way we

played. I like where we are and we'll be ready to go where ever we have to go."