The Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts are both 7-6 -- two games behind the AFC’s top six clubs in the race for the playoffs. When they meet on Monday Night Football this week in Indianapolis, the clubs will be in "playoff mode." A win helps their postseason cause. A loss makes it that much harder.

Add to that the recent Bills-Colts’ history, and the matchup promises to be an exciting one. In four of the past five games between the clubs, the winning team has scored at least 30 points.

On top of all those scenarios are the closely-contested MNF games of 2000 – 10 MNF games have been decided by seven points or less, matching 1999 for the most such MNF games in a season.

Both teams are also coming off losses to division frontrunners (Buffalo to Miami and Indianapolis to the New York Jets) and need to turn it around.

"You just have to try and win as many games as you can and judge the team when the season is over," says

Buffalo head coach WADE PHILLIPS. "We'll keep playing as hard as we can."

Colts head coach JIM MORA has a similar philosophy. "If we've got the right kind of people, which I believe we do, they will continue to prepare well and fight hard until the very end," he says.

The players are looking to regroup as well.

"We've got a lot of proud players, a proud team," says Bills quarterback ROB JOHNSON. "This next game, we'd better come back smoking."

Two players who have been particularly hot in this series are "Class of 1996" wide receivers ERIC MOULDS of the Bills and MARVIN HARRISON of the Colts.

Moulds, chosen 24th overall in ’96, has 27 catches for 369 yards and three touchdowns in the past three meetings of the clubs. On Monday, Moulds will aim for his fourth consecutive 100-yard game against Indianapolis. He tops the NFL with 86 catches and could become the first Buffalo player ever to lead the league in the category. Moulds also needs five receptions to break ANDRE REED’s club season mark (90 in 1989).

Harrison, the 19th overall draft choice in ’96, is close behind Moulds in the NFL reception race with 82. He ranks second in the AFC with 1,230 yards and leads the conference with 11 touchdown catches. Harrison also has an NFL-high 16 100-yard games since 1999. Against Buffalo, he has five touchdown receptions in the past five games, including two in his eight-catch 121-yard effort in the teams’ last meeting in Indianapolis (September 12, 1999).

More interesting notes on this week’s Bills-Colts Monday night matchup:

• The Monday night game features the Colts’ No. 2 AFC offense (397.4) against the Bills’ No. 3 conference defense (272.8).

• The Bills play two of their last three games in prime-time (at Seattle on Saturday night, December 23). Buffalo has won its past five prime-time games.

• Bills quarterback ROB JOHNSON has thrown for 533 yards and three touchdowns for a 110.0 passer rating in his past two starts against Indianapolis.

• Buffalo running back ANTOWAIN SMITH has eight touchdown runs in six games against the Colts.

• Kicker STEVE CHRISTIE needs five points to become the first Bills player to score 1,000 career points.

• The Colts’ past four losses have come by a total of 18 points.

• PEYTON MANNING of the Colts is the only quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in each game this season. He has thrown a scoring strike in 40 of his past 42 contests.

• Colts running back EDGERRIN JAMES, who has 312 scrimmage yards in three games against Buffalo, needs 179 yards for his second consecutive 2,000-yard scrimmage season.