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INDIANAPOLIS -- It's hardly conventional thinking for the Colts, but what they got themselves with Sunday's win over New England and the resulting 4-4 record at the halfway point is an eight-game mini-season.

"It was all about getting that one win and we did that, hopefully this thing keeps moving," safety Bob Sanders said.

"We lose that game, 3-5 it's not looking so good," left guard Charlie Johnson said. "But 4-4 with the AFC, there are a lot of teams right there. We gave ourselves a chance to play the rest of these eight games and sort of play our way in if everything works out."

As the Colts look to put back-to-back wins together for just the second time this season, things hardly get easier. They are at Pittsburgh Sunday and after a home rematch with Houston go on the road twice more to tough spots -- San Diego and Cleveland.

"We want to focus on this win and build on it," safety Antoine Bethea said. "And you can look back on the previous eight games and realize what you did wrong and learn from it. From now on, we've got eight games to build on this win."