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NASHVILLE – In the win column it counts the same as the previous three have for the Colts this season, but no one could discount the importance Sunday's 19-13 overtime victory over the Titans could have moving forward.
Trying to "stack wins together" has been a theme for the Colts the past couple of weeks.
In order to take another step and move themselves toward the top half of the AFC, winning away from home was next on the agenda.
The message since January has not changed for the players and staff inside the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, and Sunday proved to be continued progress toward the goal of playing past Week 17.
"If we were to believe all the writings and all the naysayers, we'd be 0-7 right now," defensive end Cory Redding said. "Nobody picked us to win this game, but we don't give a care to any of that. The heart of these men in this locker room is we are going to fight every week. We went out there and played great team ball, and we got one on the road in a tough, hostile environment."
Heading into Sunday's game with the Titans, Colts players did not downplay the need for a win away from home with a road losing streak dating back through last season.
Redding has been a veteran voice all season long for the Colts. His return to the lineup against the Titans helped a defense that was still without some its starters on Sunday.
"We didn't have a road win this year. We knew that going into this game, so that's why the focus was extremely high," Redding said.
"All the men were all a part of going in and silencing this crowd and getting a win, to go back home and stack another win. We've got to stack wins in this league to be the team we want to be in January. We had to learn how to win on the road in order to do that. It was tough. We didn't say it was going to be pretty, but we got it done."
With a schedule of four home games and a bye week in the first seven weeks of the season, the Colts only had two road games heading into last weekend.
Coming out of the 19-13 overtime victory the room for improvement is still there, but the most important goal of the weekend was accomplished.
"Was it perfect? No. Did we do enough to win the game? Yes," cornerback Jerraud Powers said. "I'm pretty sure if you asked (Andrew) Luck he wanted to put up more points. I'm pretty sure if you asked us, we wanted to stop them more. It wasn't a perfect win but whenever you can get an ugly win on the road, you'll take it."
When Interim Head Coach Bruce Arians entered his postgame press conference, the first thought that came out of his mouth was about the Colts removing the "road monkey" off their backs.
As the coin fell to heads prior to overtime, Arians had no doubt what he wanted to do with the football.
"You couldn't be prouder of a group to take the ball against the wind and drive it down the field to win the game," Arians said. "You play the game to win, and we weren't about to take the wind and kick. We were going to take the football from the giddy-up and take it down the field."
Sunday's game began a stretch of six road contests over nine weeks for the Colts.
As a veteran of 10 years, Redding values each and every week knowing the uncertainty of life in the NFL.
In moving to 4-3, Redding and his teammates ended a road losing streak and recorded their first divisional win of 2012.
Come Monday, that is in the past.
"You don't get too many chances in this league. We got something good right now," Redding said. "Guys got to stay healthy and guys got to get back. The next thing on our agenda is Miami at home. (We have to) get (win) No. 5, period."
