Ah, the sweet smell of overwhelming victory.

I know it doesn’t mean we’re Super Bowl-bound. I know it doesn’t mean we won’t come out against Green Bay next weekend and lay an enormous, room-clearing egg. And I know it doesn’t mean we won’t miss the playoffs for the first time in I don’t know how many years (as my friend Vinnie assured me would happen last weekend when it looked like we were dead in the water against the lowly Houston Texans).

But it does mean we still have the capacity to completely overpower offensively inferior teams with a combination of sheer talent and years of experience. Old Marvin Harrison even showed signs of life today, making the kind of moves on defending cornerbacks that reminded us why he’s a future Hall of Famer. Forget for a moment that, even if he didn’t shoot the guy who’s filing a civil suit against him in Philadelphia, he is almost certainly involved. There was something heartwarming about how he had an extra spring in his step when he realized he was going to get to the end zone untouched on that first quarter touchdown. And only the most cynical among us weren’t thinking “Aw, shucks!” when the camera showed his young son smiling beatifically toward someone in the crowd later in the game.

Marvin’s throwback performance was a bonus in this game. We can’t expect it on a regular basis at this point in his career. The real reason this game was so deeply satisfying is because it erased the concerns so many of us harbored about the Colts’ ability to play solid defense against the run. The Colts’ run-stuffing D against the Ravens means even more because it happened without the help of the Big Panacea, Bob Sanders. What’s more, the beleaguered Melvin Bullitt finally proved his worth as an NFL player, getting an interception and generally flying around the field like a caffeinated pinball.

When it was suggested that last week’s freak comeback win against the Texans might provide a springboard for the Colts, I thought it was the worst kind of wishful thinking. I was wrong. Bullitt, Robert Mathis, Gary Brackett, Freddy Keiaho and the rest of the defensive corps played with a sense of urgency that has eluded the Ponies since the 2006 playoffs.

Will it last? I doubt it. But the Colts proved today that, although it’s unclear how much of “it” they still have, some of it remains in their tank. And those of us who hang our hat on that kind of thing get to enjoy the luxury of having somewhere to hang our head-warming devices for at least another week.