It signaled the Indianapolis Colts' ascension into the rank of Super Bowl favorites.

Sunday's 23-20 victory over the host San Diego Chargers was the fourth consecutive victory for Indianapolis, which appeared to be in shambles early in the season.

But at 7-4, they look downright scary.

Look at who the Colts defeated in this streak: their biggest rivals, the New England Patriots , the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers , the feisty Houston Texans and the Chargers.

The Colts still have problems. Their defense is porous and they continue to be hindered by injuries, like the one to the knee of star safety Bob Sanders.

But considering the Colts' weak schedule the rest of the way, they should have plenty of time to work out the kinks and maybe even rest some players who need to get healthy.

In the Colts' remaining five games, they play only one team, Tennessee (10-1), which has a winning record, but that will be the final game of the season and will likely be irrelevant for the Titans. The other opponents - Cleveland, who they play Sunday, Cincinnati, Detroit and Jacksonville are a combined 9-34-1.

With the Colts already tied for the lead in the wild card race, having beaten New England (7-4) and Baltimore (7-4), they should make the playoffs.

But based on the Colts' recent performances, which have included multi-faceted offensive outings and improved special-teams play, along with a defense that has made some strides, they look like more than just a playoff team - they look like a Super Bowl contender.

Remember, the AFC is packed with a lot of good teams, but no great ones. Denver and Baltimore are seriously flawed. Pittsburgh and New England aren't particularly scary. Tennessee, which was unbeaten going into the weekend but was throttled 34-13 by the New York Jets , is decent but not intimidating.

The Colts may be the best of the bunch, especially now that they've got their swagger back. That swagger was on full display late Sunday, when they got the ball back in a tied game with 1:30 remaining. On fourth-and-inches from the San Diego 48-yard line, the Colts not only went for it, they also passed the ball, successfully to Marvin Harrison for a first down.

And they did so without hesitation.

That set up Vinatieri for the winning field goal. It felt like the confident Indianapolis team of two years ago, a team that won the Super Bowl.

It's far from a certainty that the Colts will be a major player in the postseason, but it does look like a possibility now.

See also

*Brees, Saints dominate Packers; NFL notebook

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