By Tom James
INDIANAPOLIS — Tony Dungy had a pretty good hunch that his Indianapolis Colts team would be meeting up with the San Diego Chargers again in the playoffs.
In fact, in talking with Chargers tight end Antonio Gates minutes after the Colts’ regular-season 23-20 win over San Diego on Nov. 23, Dungy said exactly that.
“We happened to be walking out of the tunnel together after the game and I said, ‘I just have a feeling we’re going to see you guys again,’” the Colts coach recalled Monday. “They thought so too. They felt like they could win and keep the pressure on Denver [in the race to win the AFC West title].”
San Diego did exactly that, rolling to a 52-21 shellacking over the Broncos in a nationally televised game Sunday night. Norv Turner’s team has now won four straight heading into the postseason, averaging 37.3 points per game in the process.
Indianapolis and the Chargers have a pretty good history against each other. The two franchises, who will play Saturday night in an AFC wildcard game, have split their previous two postseason meetings, with the Colts posting a 35-20 road victory in an AFC wildcard game (Dec. 31, 1995) and San Diego returning the favor last year with a 28-24 win in an AFC divisional playoff contest (Jan. 13, 2008).
Prior to this year’s win at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego had won the previous three meetings. The Chargers have posted victories in nine of the last 13 matchups. One positive for Dungy’s team, however, is that the Colts have a 7-4 record in games played in San Diego.
“It’s an exciting time for us. We are happy to be in [the playoffs], looking forward to the challenge of going to San Diego. They’re playing extremely hot right now. We’ve been watching a lot of tape. They’ve played well down the stretch. Very much like us in that it was must wins all the way through,” the Colts coach said.
“They had games they had to win. Went to the east coast and won in Tampa. Won [at Denver]. They’re playing very well. Explosive [on offense] and playing well on defense. It will be a test. Most of the games we’ve had against have been close, where a play or there in the fourth quarter has determined it. So we’re going to do our best to get ready.”
• Tale of the Tape — San Diego has an 0-5 record against 2008 NFL playoff teams, losing to Carolina, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Miami and the Colts. Indianapolis, meanwhile, is 5-1 against the postseason field with wins over Minnesota, Baltimore, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and the Chargers. The Colts’ only loss came to the Titans (31-21) on Oct. 27.
The Chargers, meanwhile, are the first .500 team (8-8) since the 1985 Cleveland Browns to win a division title. San Diego was 3-7 against teams outside the AFC West.
• Wildcard weekend — Atlanta will play at Arizona at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in an NFC wildcard game, to be followed by the Colts and Chargers in an 8 p.m. contest. Both games will be televised by NBC Sports.
Baltimore at Miami will kickoff at 1 p.m. Sunday (CBS) in an AFC wildcard game, with Philadelphia traveling to Minnesota for a 4:30 p.m. start (Fox Sports) in the second NFC wildcard game.
Injury list — While middle linebacker Gary Brackett (broken right fibula) will be sidelined for at least one more week, the Colts came away from Sunday’s game with Tennessee in relatively good shape.
Offensive guard Mike Pollak (ankle), center Jamey Richard (ankle), outside linebacker Phillip Wheeler (thigh), wide receiver Pierre Garcon (knee) and wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (hip pointer) were the only injuries of note.
Gonzalez, Wheeler and Garcon are all expected to be available for the Chargers game. Indianapolis officials probably won’t know the status of either Pollak or Richard until Wednesday or Thursday.
Running backs Dominic Rhodes (chest/ribs) and Chad Simpson (ankle), along with safeties Bob Sanders (knee) and Melvin Bullitt (shoulder), should be good to go this week. How much practice time all four get over the next couple of days has yet to be determined.
• Indiana State connection — Bruce Gradkowski, who started at quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Cleveland Browns Sunday, is the nephew of former Indiana State offensive guard Mark Gradkowski.
The younger Gradkowski played collegiately at Toledo and has spent time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the St. Louis Rams.
Also, three former ISU assistant coaches — Dave McGinnis (Tennessee), Alvin Reynolds (Atlanta) and Dave Magazu (Carolina) — will be with NFL playoff teams this year.
