On Monday, he said that was especially true.

Because on Monday, the Colts’ sixth-year head coach said he received word that when the team resumes practice on Wednesday all players except perhaps tight end Ben Utecht probably will be available.

“That will put us the healthiest we’ve been in a long while,” Dungy said Monday as the AFC South Champion Colts (13-3) prepared to play the AFC West Champion San Diego Chargers (12-5) in an AFC Divisional Playoff game at the RCA Dome on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Colts, who have had a variety of starters miss more than 90 games this season with injuries, were without eight players in the December 30 regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans.

They were:

Wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee), wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez (foot), cornerback Tim Jennings (concussion), defensive back Keiwan Ratliff (hamstring), offensive tackle Ryan Diem (knee), defensive tackle Raheem Brock (rib), Utecht (shoulder) and defensive end Robert Mathis (knee).

Dungy said team trainers told him only Utecht may not be ready by Wednesday.

“Everybody else should be ready to go,” Dungy said. “One of the benefits of the bye, I think, is going to pay off for us.”

Harrison, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, has missed the last 10 games with a knee injury. He practiced twice in the week leading to the season finale and once last week during the Colts’ bye week.

The Chargers enter the week with injury issues, too.

Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates missed the second half of Sunday’s game with a sprained toe.

Dungy said he’ll approach the situation involving Gates the same way he approached the Colts’ injury situation all season – and the same way he’ll approach the Colts’ situation the rest of the week.

“I think we’ll be fine and I think we will have everybody there, but I guess I’m at the point where you can’t base it on one guy,” Dungy said. “If Gates doesn’t play, they’re not going to come in and forfeit. They won and got the job done in the second half without him being a part of it.

“That’s what good teams do.”

LOADING UP: As was the case last season, starting defensive players could be used on special teams in the playoffs, Dungy said Monday.

But defensive end Robert Mathis may not be one of those players.

After allowing two kickoff returns and a punt return for touchdowns last regular season, the Colts used veterans such as Mathis, cornerback Marlin Jackson and linebacker Rob Morris on special teams in the postseason. Dungy said a similar approach could be used Sunday.

“We’ll look at it, and I would expect to see some of those guys on there,” Dungy said. “We’re going to put the best coverage units we have out there. That may include some of our front-line guys, especially with the linebackers. We’ll get a lot of those guys out there.”

Mathis, the Colts’ sacks leader with 7.5, was one of the league’s top special teams players from 2003-2005 before moving into the starting lineup at defensive end. He played special teams last postseason, but missed the last two games this regular season with a knee injury.

“I would say with him not playing in a couple of weeks, we’d hesitate to have him in on the long runs, but if it’s necessary and he’s healthy, you could see him,” Dungy said.

ETC., ETC.: Colts Assistant Head Coach/Quarterbacks Jim Caldwell spent the weekend interviewing for at least one NFL head-coaching vacancy. He returned to begin preparing for Sunday’s game, Dungy said. Dungy said the timing of the interviews was ideal. “I know where Jim is,” Dungy said. “He wants to try to put his focus on moving forward and getting us going in the playoffs now, but I think it’s good, the way the league did it. With our guys, it didn’t disrupt too much last week. He did it on time off and I think we’re ready to go full-speed ahead now and it’s not bad.’’ There are currently three head coaching vacancies – Atlanta, Baltimore and Miami. . . Dungy said Monday he was “a little misty-eyed” last week upon learning of the retirement of Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Warren Sapp. Dungy coached Sapp in Tampa Bay from 1996-2001. “He was one of the first guys I talked to when I went to Tampa in ‘96,” Dungy said. “I said if we were going to get where we wanted to go, he was going to have to carry us. He was going to have be not only a great player, but a leader, that we were going to build a defense around him. He did. He turned out to be that three-technique that you could build around. He was a great practice player and one of the smartest players I’ve been around. . . . He gave that franchise the idea that they could win. He was a special guy. I think both of us came along at the right time.’’ . . . Dungy on the potential absence and impact of Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, “It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if they rested him up and tried to get him healthy for the following week. He’s a tremendous player. He’s a big part of what they do. He’s a tough match-up, just like Dallas Clark is a tough match-up, because they can move him a lot of places. He’s a little too big for most defensive backs to cover and a little too nifty for most linebackers to cover. They go to him in such different ways that it does dictate what you can do. I don’t know that they’ll tell us if he’s going to play or not, but it certainly would make a big difference.” Gates left the second quarter of the Chargers’ victory over Tennessee Sunday with a sprained left big toe.