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INDIANAPOLIS – A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts believed a repeat Super Bowl championship was within their reach until the visiting San Diego Chargers ousted them from the divisional round of the playoffs 28-24.
So payback must be on the Colts’ minds today, as they take on the Chargers in a wild card game at Qualcomm Stadium, right?
“Not at all,” Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne said. “None. Zilch. Nada. Zero. Last year is last year, can’t do anything about it, can’t bring it back. There is no revenge factor.”
While both the Colts and Chargers cruised to the playoffs last season, they had to scrap their way there this season.
Indianapolis (12-4) won its last nine games to secure the top wild card spot in the AFC. San Diego (8-8) won four in a row, taking advantage of the Denver Broncos’ collapse, to win the AFC West and get a home game against the Colts.
The Chargers know they can beat the Colts – they did it three straight times between 2005 and 2008. But when the teams met Nov. 23, Indianapolis won 23-20 at Qualcomm Stadium thanks to a last-second Adam Vinatieri field goal.
“I think you gain a great deal of confidence knowing that you have beaten this team, but also I think it keeps it in perspective because they’ve beaten you also,” said Chargers star running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who may be limited tonight because of a groin injury.
The back-and-forth nature of the series has made Colts vs. Chargers one of the top rivalries in the NFL, with both teams feeling they’ll have to play their best to win.
The aerial attack will be on display with quarterback Peyton Manning leading the NFL’s fifth-best passing offense, and Philip Rivers, who was tied for the NFL lead with 34 touchdown passes, guiding the seventh-ranked passing offense of San Diego.
“(This series) just goes back and forth,” said Colts tight end Dallas Clark. “We know that we need to play our best game to beat them, and they probably feel the same way. It’s just one of those things that we know we have to play our best if we want a chance.”
jcohn@jg.net
