The San Diego Chargers announced today they will wear their Powder Blue alternate uniforms in the AFC Wild Card Playoff Game against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, Jan. 3. The announcement was unexpected because after the team last wore the uniforms in the game against the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night, Dec. 4, the jerseys were sent to the National Football League office in New York where they were to be auctioned off for charity on NFL.com. ?It took some doing, but we were able to get the jerseys back just before they hit the auction site,? said A.G. Spanos, the Chargers? executive vice president & executive officer. ?We hope by wearing these special alternate uniforms, it will help generate added excitement for both our players as well as our fans and give us an even stronger home-field advantage.? After the game, the team plans to return the jerseys to the League where they will be auctioned off on NFL.com to benefit Chargers Charities and Chargers Champions, their education and fitness community initiative.

The Pacers announced Tuesday that Saturday's game against the Kings at Conseco Fieldhouse has been moved from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. so Indianapolis fans can watch the Colts. "Thanks to the Sacramento Kings' willingness to make this change," the Pacers said in a statement. "The Pacers join the entire community's excitement as the Colts begin the 2009 playoffs and wish them great success." The Colts play the Chargers at 8 p.m. in an AFC playoff game.

During a recent spot on KNBR Radio, Steve Young suggested that a team's performance over the final six games of the season is an excellent indicator of how well a team will perform in the postseason. Using the Trench Counter as an objective barometer, which teams are entering the playoffs playing the best football? Click here for more information on the Trench Counter Notes: Teams that qualified for the playoffs in italics. Record over final six weeks of season is in parenthesis. 1. Baltimore Ravens: 13.3 (5-1) The only thing keeping the Ravens from finishing their final six games undefeated was that controversial Santonio Holmes touchdown in their 9-13 loss to Pittsburgh. 2. New England Patriots: 8.4 (5-1) Like the Ravens, the Patriots' only loss over their final six was to Pittsburgh when Matt Cassel was held to just 169 yards passing and a season low 39.4 passer rating. They are very clearly the one team the six teams in the AFC Playoffs are lucky to be missing. 3. Minnesota Vikings: 7.9 (5-1) The Vikings were one team I was expecting to finish strong after an unlucky 0-2 start to the season. They are 9-3 since that 17-30 loss to Tennessee. 4. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7.7 (5-1) The Steelers' lone loss down the stretch was in Week 16 against the Titans when they turned the ball over four times. 5. Carolina Panthers: 7.3 (4-2) The Panthers narrowly missed out on homefield advantage in the playoffs in their 28-34 overtime loss to the Giants. DeAngelo Williams is averaging 122 yards per game over those six games. 6. Indianapolis Colts: 6.9 (6-0) The Colts have won nine in a row, but during that stretch beat New England by three, Pittsburgh by four, Houston by six, San Diego by three and Cleveland by four. 7. San Diego Chargers: 6.5 (4-2) After losing three in a row (all to playoff teams) and six of eight, it looked like the Chargers were done, but got some good breaks in Kansas City and a little help from Buffalo and Carolina. 8. Philadelphia Eagles: 5.1 (4-2) The Eagles mark here was heavily aided by their 48-20 win over Arizona on Thanksgiving, the 30-10 win over the Browns on Monday night and the 44-6 rout of Dallas in Week 17. 9. New Orleans Saints: 4.0 (3-3) The Saints had a positive Trench Counter in their three wins, as well as the overtime loss in Chicago. 10. Houston Texans: 2.7 (5-1) The Texans were 8-4 after their 0-4 start and very well could be in the playoffs when looking at both Colts' losses and the loss to Jacksonville in Week 4 in overtime. This team is clearly on the cusp. 11. Miami Dolphins: 2.3 (5-1) The Dolphins won their final five games to win the AFC East. During the final four games, Chad Pennington threw eight touchdowns and just one interception. 12. Tennessee Titans: 1.5 (3-3) I think the ceiling of Kerry Collins' play will keep the Titans out of the AFC Championship, let alone the Super Bowl. He has four touchdowns and three interceptions over the final six games (though he threw just two passes in Indy). 13. San Francisco 49ers: 1.2 (4-2) Mike Singletary passed his dress rehearsal with flying colors and Shaun Hill played well enough to convince the Niners that they could live and possibly compete with him behind center. 14. Atlanta Falcons: 1.1 (5-1) With the exception of the Carolina win in Week 13, the final six games of the season were decided by an average of 4.8 points. 15. New York Giants: 0.5 (3-3) I'm not really sure what to make of the Giants' final six games. The win in Arizona doesn't look quite as good as it did given the Cardinals' slide and they looked very bad against Philadelphia and Dallas. The overtime win over Carolina was critical and impressive and the way they competed against Minnesota with nothing to really play for was clearly a positive sign. 16. Chicago Bears: 0.5 (4-2) The Bears threw away those two primetime overtime victories against New Orleans and Green Bay by losing in Houston 24-31 with a playoff berth at stake. 17. New York Jets: -0.3 (1-5) The losses to Denver at home and Seattle, Oakland and San Francisco on the road is what makes the from 8-3 to 9-7 a particularly difficult pill to swallow. 18. Cincinnati Bengals: -0.8 (3-3) The Redskins, Browns and Chiefs of 2008 are not the teams they were in the late 80's, but that was a nice quiet finish for a team that struggled horribly. Cedric Benson averaged 118 yards per game over the final three. 19. Green Bay Packers: -1.0 (1-5) The Packers narrowly were defeated by Carolina, Houston, Jacksonville and Chicago before moving to 6-10 with their historic win over Detroit. Aaron Rodgers was easily better before the bye than afterwards, but the quarterback position is a clear area of strength for the Packers that they can build around. 20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: -2.3 (2-4) The Buccaneers lost their final four games to just miss the playoffs and though three of the four losses were to playoff teams, the loss to Oakland with the season on the line is simultaneously inexcusable and unexplainable. 21. Kansas City Chiefs: -2.9 (1-5) The Chiefs were outgained on the ground 204 to 31 by the Bengals in the Week 17 finale. 22. Dallas Cowboys: -3.2 (3-3) While fingers point to Wade Phillips, Terrell Owens, Jason Garrett, Roy Williams (WR) and Tony Romo, the injuries in the backfield to Marion Barber and Felix Jones took away the ground game that was so valuable in their early season wins. 23. Oakland Raiders: -3.4 (3-3) The Raiders finished the season with a two-game win streak, something I thought I might have to go back a ways to find the last time it was done, but each of the Raiders four wins last season were part of two-game streaks. 24. Washington Redskins: -3.7 (2-4) Jason Campbell had a passer rating over 90 six times and the Redskins were 5-1 in those games; Campbell had three games in the 60's and three in the 80's over their final six. 25. Buffalo Bills: -4.0 (2-4) The Bills were 2-8 after starting the season 5-1. 26. Denver Broncos: -4.4 (2-4) The performance of no single player had a greater impact on his team winning or losing in 2008 than Jay Cutler. In their eight wins, he had passer ratings of 137.5, 109.6, 96.1, 107.9, 106.4, 94.8 and 102.7. In Denver's eight losses, his passer ratings were 71.9, 77.8, 64.3, 60.7, 49.8, 74.3, 72.4, 74.9. 27. St. Louis Rams: -4.8 (0-6) The Rams lost the final three games by a combined eight points. 28. Seattle Seahawks: -5.2 (2-4) The Seahawks had just four 100-yard rushing performances in 2008. Back in 2005, Shaun Alexander alone had 11 games where he rushed for at least 100 yards. 29. Arizona Cardinals: -5.4 (2-4) Three of the four losses over the final six were to playoff teams and the other one was to the Patriots who have finished the season as strong as anyone. While common sense suggests the Cardinals are stumbling into the postseason badly, looking at their final six through that prism changes the perception to a definite degree. 30. Jacksonville Jaguars: -7.9 (1-5) The Jaguars averaged 14.9 points over their final seven games. 31. Cleveland Browns: -12.3 (0-6) The Browns were shutout in their final two games and had scored just 10, 9, 6 and 6 in their previous four following their 29-27 win at Buffalo. 32. Detroit Lions: -15.2 (0-6) The Lions were outscored 95-209 over their final six compared to 173-308 during the first 12.

Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning extended his own NFL record for 4,000-yard seasons to nine during Sunday's game against the Titans. Manning needed 93 yards to achieve the mark again, and he went 7-for-7 start with 95 yards and one touchdown in the first quarter before being replaced by backup Jim Sorgi.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, each of the NFL's 10 teams that have used 35 starters or fewer has a winning record. Only three teams, the Patriots, Dolphins and Colts have managed at least 10 wins this season while needing to use more than 35 different starting players. - New England is 10-5 with 46 starters - Miami is 10-5 with 39 starters - Indianapolis is 11-4 with 37 starters

Crews imploded the RCA Dome on Saturday morning by setting off 800 charges to bring down the facility's upper floors in less than a minute. The stadium was originally named the Hoosier Dome and stood since the Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984. It had become the NFL's smallest stadium.

With a playoff berth locked up, the Colts are expected to hold some of their starters out of their season finale against the Titans next weekend. "The one thing we will do is protect the guys who are nicked up," Coach Tony Dungy said. "The guys who are iffy probably won't play." That means that Marvin Harrison, Joseph Addai, and Bob Sanders are expected to sit.

The Colts clinched a playoff berth on Thursday night in their win over the Jaguars. Indianapolis trailed 14-0 in the first quarter but rallied back to win 31-24 on the strength of Peyton Manning's arm and an opportunistic defensive play. Manning went 29-for-34 with 364 yards and three touchdowns. Without Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne had seven catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, and Dallas Clark tallied eight receptions for 105 yards and a score of his own. David Garrard passed well against the tough secondary of the Colts, going 28-for-41 with 329 yards, one touchdown and a costly interception. With less than five minutes left in regulation, Keiwan Ratliff intercepted Garrard and returned it 35 yards to score the game-winning touchdown. Maurice Jones-Drew rushed twenty times for 91 yards and tallied seven receptions for 71 yards in the loss. The Colts' running game was almost nonexistent -- they tallied 32 yards on eighteen carries -- but they still recorded their eighth straight victory.

Chances are you saw a majority of the fourteen games played on Sunday in the NFL?s Week Fifteen, but there is no need to worry if you weren?t watching all the action. RealGM is here to help summarize all that went down as NFL teams took the field in the second weekend of December. We will also calculate each team?s Trench Counter*. Chicago 27, New Orleans 24 (OT) Team Trench Counter: Bears -2.4, Saints +2.4 Robbie Gould hit a 35-yard field goal in overtime to push the Bears (9-5) past the Saints (7-7) on Thursday night. Kyle Orton went 24-for-40 with 172 yards and two interceptions as Chicago relied on their defense to help put points on the board. Rookie running back Matt Forte rushed eleven times for 34 yards and touchdown, while Orton added six yards and a score of his own on the ground. Danieal Manning kicked the game off with an 83-yard kickoff return, but Chicago needed a Gould field goal to simply force overtime. Drew Brees went 24-for-43 with 232 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Pierre Thomas was an offensive force for the Saints, rushing for 87 yards and a touchdown and catching seven passes for 59 yards and another score. Marques Colston led New Orleans in receiving with 84 yards and a touchdown, but the Saints? defense simply couldn?t stop Chicago from entering field goal range on the first possession of the overtime period. Seattle 23, St. Louis 20 Team Trench Counter: Seahawks +4.1, Rams -4.1 Olindo Mare kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to give the Seahawks (3-11) a tight win over the Rams (2-12). Seneca Wallace went 15-for-25 with 226 yards, while Maurice Morris carried the ball fifteen times for 86 yards. T.J. Duckett scored the only offensive touchdown of the day for Seattle on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter. Safety Jordan Babineaux returned a fumble 24 yards for a score in the first quarter that momentarily tied the game. Marc Bulger went 19-for-32 with 207 yards and a touchdown, which came on a first quarter strike to Torry Holt. Steven Jackson ran twenty-four times for 91 yards and a touchdown, while Holt?s 64 receiving yards led St. Louis. The Rams led 20-13 midway through the fourth quarter, but couldn?t stop the Seahawks with the game on the line. N.Y. Jets 31, Buffalo 27 Team Trench Counter: Jets +13.1, Bills -13.1 The Jets (9-5) forced three turnovers in the final two minutes to comeback and defeat the Bills (6-8) on Sunday afternoon. Abram Elam sacked J.P. Losman and Shaun Ellis returned a fumble 11 yards to give the Jets a late lead. New York?s secondary then intercepted Losman twice in less than two minutes to preserve the advantage. Brett Favre went 17-for-30 with 207 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington combined to rush for 125 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. Losman, who played well through the game?s first 55 minutes, went 24-for-39 with 148 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He added 17 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while Marshawn Lynch (127 yards) and Fred Jackson (31 yards and a score) excelled on the ground as well. Losman completed passes to nine different receivers, with no one tallying more than 43 yards. The loss eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention. Miami 14, San Francisco 9 Team Trench Counter: Jets -3.6, 49ers +3.6 The Dolphins (9-5) improved their playoff hopes with a hard-fought win over the 49ers (5-9) in South Beach. Chad Pennington went 12-for-19 with 156 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the first half. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams combined to rush for 90 yards, as Miami failed to score after the half. The defense recorded five sacks, and although they didn?t record a turnover, they refused to break and held San Francisco without a touchdown. Shaun Hill went 30-for-46 with 233 yards, while DeShaun Foster added 76 rushing yards on eighteen carries in the loss. Isaac Bruce was the team?s leading receiver with seven catches for 71 yards, while Bryant Johnson tallied 41 yards on five receptions. The 49ers hoped to finish the season with a record of 8-8, but the loss to Miami has ended their hopes with just two games left on the schedule. San Diego 22, Kansas City 21 Team Trench Counter: Chargers -5.6, Chiefs +5.6 The Chargers (6-8) stormed back late against the Chiefs (2-12) to momentarily keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Philip Rivers finished with 346 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 34-for-48 passing. LaDainian Tomlinson had 74 total yards and a score, while Vincent Jackson (six catches for 89 yards) and Malcolm Floyd (five catches for 67 yards) each caught touchdown passes. San Diego scored nineteen-straight points to end the game, including a pair of touchdowns in the final two minutes. Tyler Thigpen went 19-for-28 with 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while also rushing ten times for 40 yards and a score. Larry Johnson rushed seventeen times for 55 yards, but didn?t reach the end zone. Tony Gonzalez, who continues to excel with Thigpen at quarterback, caught six passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. Dwayne Bowe, who had six receptions for 44 yards, caught Thigpen?s another scoring strike. Jacksonville 20, Green Bay 16 Team Trench Counter: Jaguars +1.5, Packers -1.5 The Jaguars (5-9) scored thirteen points in the fourth quarter to officially end the playoff hopes of the Packers (5-9). David Garrard went 21-for-33 with 238 yards and two touchdowns, while Maurice Jones-Drew scored on a 2-yard run with less than two minutes remaining to give Jacksonville the victory. Dennis Northcutt led the team in receiving with five catches for 127 yards and a score, which came on a 30-yard connection with Garrard in the first quarter. Aaron Rodgers went 20-for-32 with 278 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Ryan Grant struggled on the ground, rushing twenty-one times for just 56 yards. James Jones led the Packers with four receptions for 132 yards, while Greg Jennings caught three passes for 22 yards and a touchdown. Green Bay scored just three points in the second half, and Rodgers ended their chances with an interception on their final drive. Indianapolis 31, Detroit 21 Team Trench Counter: Colts +9.1, Lions -9.1 The Colts (10-4) won their seventh-straight game on Sunday, despite a strong effort from the lowly Lions (0-14). Peyton Manning went 28-for-37 with 318 yards and a touchdown, while Dominic Rhodes filled in nicely for Joseph Addai with 86 yards and two touchdowns on twenty carries. Dallas Clark (12 receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown) and Reggie Wayne (seven catches for 104 yards) led the team in receiving. Indianapolis scored the final ten points of the game to improve their playoff chances. Dan Orlovsky, who started in place of the injured Daunte Culpepper, went 23-for-34 with 233 yards and a touchdown. Rookie running back Kevin Smith rushed twenty times for 88 yards and a touchdown, but lost a key fumble. Calvin Johnson was Orlovsky?s top target, catching nine passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Orlovsky converted a two-point conversion play at the beginning of the fourth to tie the game at 21 apiece, but the Detroit defense crumbled late. Houston 13, Tennessee 12 Team Trench Counter: Texans +2, Titans -2 Andre Johnson?s career effort helped the Texans (7-7) hand the Titans (12-2) just their second loss of the season. Matt Schaub went 23-for-39 with 284 yards and a touchdown, while rookie Steve Slaton rushed twenty-four times for 100 yards. Johnson caught eleven passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, while the Houston defense helped keep Tennessee?s elite rushing attack in check. The Texans have won four consecutive games to rebound from a rough start. Kerry Collins went 15-for-33 with 181 yards and an interception, as the Titans failed to score a touchdown. Chris Johnson rushed for 65 yards on thirteen carries, while LenDale White attempted eight runs for 26 yards in the loss. Justin Gage had three receptions for 76 yards, but Rod Bironas was the team?s lone offensive star. He converted all four field goals he attempted, including a 51-yarder in the loss. Cincinnati 20, Washington 13 Team Trench Counter: Bengals +10.8, Redskins -10.8 The Bengals (2-11-1) earned their second win of the season against the struggling Redskins (7-7) at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. Ryan Fitzpatrick went 16-for-29 with 209 yards and a touchdown, while adding 29 yards and a score on eleven scrambles as well. Cedric Benson rushed twenty-one times for 73 yards in the win, and led the team in receiving with three catches for 88 yards. Chris Henry caught four passes for 54 yards and a score in the upset victory. Jason Campbell played decently, throwing for 167 yards and a touchdown on 17-for-28 passing. Clinton Portis ran twenty-five times for 77 yards, while the Redskins managed just one touchdown in the loss. Santana Moss caught seven passes fro 72 yards and a score, while Chris Cooley had six receptions for 51 yards. Cincinnati jumped out to a 17-0 lead, before allowing Washington to get back into the game. Atlanta 13, Tampa Bay (OT) Team Trench Counter: Falcons +5.7, Buccaneers -5.7 Jason Elam kicked a 34-yard field goal late in overtime to give the Falcons (9-5) a huge win over the rival Buccaneers (9-5). Matt Ryan went 15-for-23 with 206 yards and two interceptions, but Michael Turner paced Atlanta with 152 yards and a touchdown on thirty-two carries. Roddy White led the team in receiving, grabbing four passes for 61 yards. The Falcons lead 10-0 after one quarter, but Buccaneers kicker Matt Bryant forced overtime with a 38-yard field goal with less than a minute left in regulation. Brian Griese, who started in place of the injured Jeff Garcia, went 26-for-37 with 269 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Cadillac Williams and Warrick Dunn combined to rush for 99 yards on twenty-six carries, while Antonio Bryant?s production continued (eight receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown) even without Garcia throwing the football. Minnesota 35, Arizona 14 Team Trench Counter: Vikings +13.1, Cardinals -13.1 Tarvaris Jackson led an offensive explosion as the Vikings (9-5) defeated the Cardinals (8-6) on Sunday. Jackson went 11-for-17 with 163 yards and four touchdowns, and Adrian Peterson rushed twenty-eight times for 165 yards in the victory. Bobby Wade (two catches for 67 yards), Bernard Berrian (one catch for 41 yards), Chester Taylor (103 total yards), and Sidney Ride (one catch for 6 yards) were all on the receiving end of Jackson?s scores. Berrian returned a punt 82 yards early in the first quarter to give Minnesota a 7-0 lead that they would never relinquish. Kurt Warner went 29-for-45 with 270 yards, one touchdown and an interception, before giving way to Matt Leinart, who finished with 28 yards on five passing attempts. J.J. Arrington and Tim Hightower combined to rush for 43 yards on seven carries, while Jerheme Urban?s three catches for 82 yards and a touchdown led the team. Minnesota jumped out to a 28-0 lead, before Arizona scored a pair of touchdowns. Roderick Hood scored the Cardinals? second touchdown after returning a blocked field goal 68 yards. New England 49, Oakland 26 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +13.9, Raiders -13.9 Matt Cassel led the Patriots (9-5) to an emphatic win over the Raiders (3-10) just days after the death of his father. Cassel went 18-for-30 with 218 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. Sammy Morris (117 yards and a touchdown) and LaMont Jordan (97 yards and a score) combined to help New England dominate on the ground. Wes Welker (six catches for 69 yards), Randy Moss (five receptions for 67 yards), and Kevin Faulk (six catches for 66 yards) all caught touchdown strikes from Cassel. The Patriots? offensive effort was their best of the season. JaMarcus Russell went 17-for-31 with 242 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden combined to run well, tallying 116 yards and a touchdown in the loss. McFadden also added 68 receiving yards on three catches, while Johnnie Lee Higgins and Ronald Curry reached the end zone via Russell passes. Oakland is now the only team in NFL history to lose eleven or more games in six consecutive seasons. Carolina 30, Denver 10 Team Trench Counter: Panthers +12, Broncos -12 The Panthers (11-3) clinched at least a tie for the NFC South title with a big win over the Broncos (8-6). Jake Delhomme went 17-for-26 with 253 yards, one touchdown and an interception, while the Carolina rushing attack continued to roll. DeAngelo Williams rushed twelve times for 88 yards and a touchdown, while Jonathan Stewart added 52 yards and a score on sixteen rushes. Steve Smith helped pace the Panthers, catching nine passes for 165 yards and a touchdown. Jay Cutler struggled, going 21-for-33 with 172 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Denver jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a Cutler pass to P.J. Pope, but Carolina ran away with the game in the second quarter. Pope, Tatum Bell and Selvin Young combined for 113 rushing yards on twenty carries. With the loss, the Broncos still have yet to clinch the AFC West division title. A win against the Bills next week would lock it up; otherwise the Week 17 battle with the Chargers could be for a playoff berth. Pittsburgh 13, Baltimore 9 Team Trench Counter: Steelers +6.4, Ravens -6.4 Ben Roethlisberger connected with Santonio Holmes on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 43 seconds left to give the Steelers (11-3) a thrilling win over the Ravens (9-5). Roethlisberger went 22-for-40 with 246 yards and a touchdown, while Willie Parker rushed fourteen times for 47 yards. Hines Ward had eight receptions for 107 yards, and Holmes had just three catches for 21 yards. The Pittsburgh defense allowed Baltimore to tally just 202 yards, while racking up 311 themselves. Rookie Joe Flacco went 11-for-28 with 115 yards and two interceptions, including one on the team?s final drive. Le?Ron McClain added 87 rushing yards on twenty-three yards, and Willis McGahee attempted six rushes for 18 yards. Mark Clayton had three receptions for 38 yards, which led the team. The Steelers clinched the AFC North division title with the win, while the Ravens will have to battle with the Dolphins, Patriots and Colts for one of the conference?s two Wild Card berths. *Explaining The Trench Counter

The Colts could decide to sit running back Joseph Addai against the winless Lions this Sunday. Addai missed practice this week with a shoulder injury, and head coach Tony Dungy said on Thursday that he could hold his top runner out this weekend. "My sense is we'll probably hold him out if there's any question at all," Dungy said. "He wants to play. Right now, it's questionable. We'll see how it is."