"This isn't 2006, but there were some eerie flashbacks as the Indianapolis Colts closed the regular season by running into the playoffs for a ninth consecutive year.

There were heavy doses of Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes. Or was it Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai?

Quarterback Peyton Manning smiled when he considered the pair, and the pairing.

"That feels familiar," he said. "Everybody keeps talking about 'a great job of bringing Dom back,' and I can't quite figure out why he left.

"He looks every bit as good as he did in 2006. The way he played down the stretch that season was phenomenal."

Rhodes returned Dec. 7 when the Colts again determined a blast from the past was warranted. They signed Rhodes to a one-year contract after he led the UFL in rushing with the Florida Tuskers. He also re-signed with the Colts in 2008 after spending the previous season in Oakland.

Rhodes initially was an understudy to Donald Brown, and the 2009 first-round draft pick cranked out a career-best 129 yards against Jacksonville. Addai still was on the mend from nerve damage in his left shoulder suffered Oct. 17 at Washington.

The last two weeks of the regular season, though, was like hitting the rewind button on the remote.

At Oakland, Addai and Rhodes combined for 29 carries, 143 yards and one touchdown. In the season finale against Tennessee, they shared 22 rushes and 92 yards. Their effective collaboration has pushed Brown to No. 3 on the depth chart with only nine carries and 37 yards since his first career 100-yard game.

So, 2006 revisited? That's when Addai, an eager first-round draft pick, and Rhodes, the veteran presence, shared the workload as the Colts won Super Bowl XLI.

Addai wasn't biting.

"I can't lie to you, 2006 was a big blur to me," he said. "But at the same time, having Dominic back, he's a guy that's been around, played a lot of football and his insight on the game helps us out a lot, he and Donald both.

"I really can't say it's like 2006 until we get to the big game and win it, but I feel like we're in a groove, all of us now.""