Sunday Jan. 13, 1 p.m. ET

It’s a Marvin miracle

Colts receiver Marvin Harrison went down in Week 3 with what the club initially called a “deep knee bruise” but he hasn’t played since. Now that’s a heck of a knee bruise. The heralded wideout is practicing again this week and may finally start on Sunday.

Harrison was supposed to start Week 16’s game against the Titans after practicing leading up to the game but was held out by head coach Tony Dungy.

"He's a guy that if he didn't play this week, I wouldn't be worried about him,'' Dungy told reporters before that game "If he's feeling good and healthy two weeks from now, I'd think he'd have a great game."

Let’s go streaking

San Diego dropped three of its first four games straight up and against the number to start the year. It took a while for the Chargers to wake up, but now they’ve covered in seven straight games – five of which they were favored by at least nine points – to sit at 12-5 against the number this season.

LaDainian Tomlinson was instrumental in the late-season surge, scoring seven rushing touchdowns and rumbling for more than 700 yards in the seven games.

Don’t doubt the ‘D’

The Colts proved that they can play some defense when it counts in last year’s playoff run and didn’t miss a beat this season. They allow a league-low 16.4 points a game and own the league’s third-best total defense, thanks in no small part to super safety Bob Sanders, who was named the Associate Press Defensive Player of the Year.

He’s the main cog in what has turned out to be a young, but bone-rattling secondary. Cornerbacks Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are a physical upgrade to last year’s starting corners and Antoine Bethea is perfect fit beside Sanders.

"Nobody really knew anyone here besides Bob (Sanders), and I think we've all done that - made a conscious effort to be more physical," Jackson told reporters.

"We are aggressive guys," Jackson added. "There's a confidence there because I know we're all going to fly around the football and hit guys."

Peyton who?

Hey, don’t forget about Peyton Manning. Tom Brady stole the spotlight by breaking his touchdown record, but Manning still had a great year even though he was often without some of the team’s top offensive weapons.

Manning still threw for over 4,000 yards to go along with 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, while helping Indy score 28.1 points a game, ranking just two spots behind the Pats. 

Gates a no-go?

Chargers tight end and leading receiver Antonio Gates looks doubtful after spraining and dislocating his left toe in last week’s comeback win over Tennessee.

"I took a hit," Gates told reporters. "At first, it didn't seem like a big deal. As I got up, it was weird. I tried to put pressure on it. We're searching for answers right now."

A report in Tuesday’s San Diego Union-Tribune says the injury will "almost certainly" keep Gates on the bench.

Turn back the calendar

San Diego has taken the last two meetings between these two teams, dropping the Colts 23-21 as 3 ½-point underdogs earlier this year. Peyton Manning was terrible in that contest, tossing a career-worst six interceptions.

Before that, the Chargers downed Indy 26-17 as seven-point underdogs back in December 2005.

“I think we're both really different teams,” head coach Norv Turner told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I think we're a different team than when we played them, however long ago it was, eight weeks ago. I just think it's a new game, and it's a new matchup. Our guys I think will go into the game with confidence, but there's a great respect, too. We know what the challenge is.”