INDIANAPOLIS -- Go back two weeks ago and the Indianapolis Colts were 1-5 and frustrated because they had a chance to prevail in the fourth quarter in all five of their losses. But being close doesn't mean much when all that matters is wins and losses.

Fast forward to today and the Colts have strung together two impressive victories against struggling Buffalo and Oakland to finish the gauntlet portion of their schedule -- five of their first eight games on the road -- at 3-5.

"We've got a long way to go," coach Frank Reich said. "Two weeks is hardly enough to celebrate too much about, but there's two positive outcomes so we're very pleased with that."

The schedule -- on paper at least -- shifts in Indianapolis' favor in the final eight games.

That brings the question: Can the Colts make a run at Houston in the AFC South and possibly end their three-year playoff drought?

That would have seemed laughable a couple weeks ago when the Colts had a difficult time closing out games. But they play five of their final eight in Lucas Oil Stadium. They don't get on a plane again until they play at Jacksonville on Dec. 2. And only one of the Colts' final eight opponents -- Houston -- currently has a winning record.

The Colts are two games behind the Texans (5-3), who own the tiebreaker after beating Indianapolis in Week 4, and a game behind the Tennessee Titans (3-4) for second in the division. ESPN's Football Power Index gives the Colts a 21.5 percent chance of making the playoffs.

The Colts have an uphill battle to catch the Texans because Houston has only one game -- at Washington (5-2) -- remaining against a team that currently has a winning record. The Titans have three games left against teams with a winning record.

Another factor that favors the Colts is that outside of possibly the Texans, they won't enter a game as the clear underdog. The Jaguars, who the Colts play twice starting in Week 10, are on a four-game losing streak. The Titans, who the Colts also play twice, are on a three-game losing streak. Miami has dropped four of its past five games after a 3-0 start. Dallas and the New York Giants are a combined 4-11 this season.

But the biggest factor that gives the Colts a chance to make the postseason is that they've started to find their rhythm on offense. They're finally getting healthy. They've rushed for more than 200 yards in each of the past two games. Quarterback Andrew Luck is second in the NFL in touchdown passes with 23, and he has attempted 156 straight passes without being sacked. The Colts are sixth in the league in scoring (28.9 points) and 12th in overall offense with a defense that's tied for third in the league in takeaways (16).

"There's been a progression," Reich said. "You like to establish your identity in Week 1 and you get that going right from the start. On offense it's taken us a few weeks to get that going, but right now we like where we're at. The guys up front are playing great."