As ready as they can be

The Colts' final regular-season 27-22 win over Miami was just what the doctor ordered -- a confidence-builder to close out the season. Like the season as a whole, it had its spectacular moments and its rough moments. Nothing came easy. Then again, that's what the playoffs will be like, starting with a home game against the Chiefs on Saturday.

If nothing else, the Colts showed the type of intensity they'll need:

Passing game: Dallas Clark returned, and missed a big catch, but made up for it later. His presence clearly adds more firepower to the team's most consistent facet. Peyton Manning remains on top of his game, looking like he'll never throw another interception. He seems to be in a groove with both Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne right now.

Running game: The numbers weren't spectacular, but both Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes provided some big runs at times. Addai's burst to set up Adam Vinatieri's half-ending field goal was extremely big. Incidentally, I inadvertently called Addai a "starter" in my column today because, even though Rhodes takes the field first, Addai is without question the No.1 back.

Pass defense: Dolphins quarterback Cleo Lemon did a nice job in his first start -- except for his poor pass that was picked off by Cato June before the half. Overall, though, the Colts were decent in pass defense.

Run defense: For most teams, giving up 150 yards rushing is a bad day. But everything is relative for the Colts. The most positive sign was the fact they held the Dolphins to field goals, not touchdowns.

Special teams: Did anyone else notice how Vinatieri nailed that 46-yard field goal? Those could come in handy in the playoffs.

Coaching: I thought Tony Dungy seemed a little too conservative toward the end of the game when a couple of Manning passes could have kept the Dolphins from a final possession. But, the clock kept running and it worked out, so that's a minor quibble. The team's intensity was strong, and some of that should be credited to the coaches.

Kansas City needed about a dozen things to happen to make the playoffs, and all of them fell into place. That good fortune alone should make them a hungry, dangerous team for the Colts this Saturday. It won't be easy. But playing the Chiefs is better than having a rematch with the Jets, simply because the Colts have done so poorly in rematch games this season (Tennessee, Jacksonville, Houston). The Super Bowl still seems distant at this point, but if Bob Sanders returns this week -- I said "if" -- who knows how big a catalyst that might be.