Seven losses by a total of 28 points. Two defeats on the final play of the game. Four in the final minute. It never rains in Southern California (and apparently elsewhere for the Chargers), but it pours.

The latest bolt from above struck Sunday night, delivered by a kicker. Adam Vinateri hammered home a 51-yard field goal as time expired and the Indianapolis Colts escaped with a 23-20 victory against the Chargers, who had tied the score only 90 seconds earlier.

At 4-7, the Chargers hardly resemble the team that reached the AFC title game last January. That group finished 12-4 and won its last six, one in overtime and none closer than six points.

This version sits two games behind the erratic Denver Broncos in the AFC West. San Diego lost in Denver in Week 2 when an errant call by officials on a fumble allowed the Broncos to keep possession at the Chargers 10-yard line. The Broncos then scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion with 24 seconds remaining to win 39-38.

"People who have seen our games know how close we are to being where we want to be and winning these games," coach Norv Turner said Monday.

If teams manufacture their luck, the Chargers need to get back to the laboratory, tinker with the specs, change the recipe and tighten quality control.

"I think we are just not making plays in crunchtime," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said.

"For some reason, when it's crunchtime, instead of stepping up and making the play, we get nervous and just try to hold on and hope we get it right."

They got some of it right against the Colts. Down 20-10 in the second half, they rallied to tie with 1:30 left on Nate Kaeding's 47-yard field goal. But that left the Colts with 90 seconds to work and the Chargers 90 seconds to expect the worst. Again.

"I told (fellow running back Darren) Sproles we gave them too much time, because in that situation Peyton (Manning) has done it over and over again," Tomlinson said.

And again. Manning moved the Colts 37 yards -- getting 14 on a pass to Marvin Harrison on fourth-and-1 -- and Vinateri popped the winner through. The Colts (7-4) won their fourth consecutive game, while the Chargers lost their second in a row and fourth in five outings.

"We have let some slip away," San Diego safety Clinton Hart said. "But we have some games left."

The operative numbers, according to quarterback Philip Rivers, are two and five.

Two games back in the AFC West. Five left to play, beginning with the resurgent Atlanta Falcons (7-4) at home Sunday and including the season finale at home against Denver.

"I don't know how long we can say it," Rivers said, "but for this week we're still in the hunt."