Colts 31 Raiders 26

Sunday the Indianapolis Colts won the 3rd of 4 must win games (though because Jacksonville lost to Washington, the game wasn't really a must win) to win the AFC South crown and tie the Dallas Cowboy's record for most consecutive playoff births in a row at 9. If they can defeat the struggling Tennessee Titans this Sunday in Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts may be considered a dangerous team in the playoffs.
Many are drawing comparisons to the 2006 team which won the Super Bowl. Though there are some similarities, there is no way I'm going there. Yes, in 2006, the Colts couldn't stop any team's running game, and then came on unbelievably in the playoffs with the return of Bob Sanders and his presence bolstered the run defense and even the top ground games in the league had difficulty getting yardage on the ground. The past 2 games the Colts have stymied two of the best running attacks in the league. The difference in 2006, the Colts were getting healthy.
This year the Colts can't get healthy if for no other reason many key players have been placed on injured reserve and won't be able to play until next year. Included in this group are Bob Sanders, Melvin Bullitt, Dallas Clark, Anthony Gonzales, Austin Collie, and Jerraud Powers. These are just top contributers and doesn't include players like Tom Santi and Jamie Silva who have made contributions to this team. Others like Kelvin Hayden and Clint Session are still waiting to be cleared to play.
On the encouraging side, the Colts have all of a sudden developed a running game of their own. The Colts racked up 191 yards on the ground against the Raiders with Dominic Rhodes doing the most damage. Donald Brown made some nice runs in limited action and Joseph Addai returned and ran strong. The Colts offensive line has begun to open up holes for the backs and are beginning to look like a better unit. The 191 rushing yards exceeded the Colts passing yardage (179), a rare occurance.
Maybe a more significant outcome of the game is that no Colt player was injured, though Antoine Bethea gave Colts's fans a scare when he went to the sidelines after a play that left him in pain on the field.
All of this bodes well but if the Colts lose Sunday against Tennessee and Jacksonville wins, the Colts will be watching the playoffs on TV.
Looking ahead to the game, the Colts should win. The Titans are in disarray, but Jeff Fisher is a good coach with his back against the wall and he has nothing to lose and could be unconventional . In the past, he has tried many unconventional tactics in his battles with Indianapolis. One year, he started the game with an onside kick and kept trying onside kicks after scores. I wouldn't be surprised if he went for it on every fourth down this year.
Gear up Colts. This one is another must win game.