SAN DIEGO —— Injured tight end Antonio Gates woke up Monday with a grin.

"We have the good fortune of the football gods smiling on all us,” Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer said.

Gates was feeling upbeat after leaving the Chargers' victory over the Buffalo Bills with a sprained right foot Sunday. X-rays after the game and an MRI on Monday revealed no break, which means Gates won't be sidelined for a considerable length of time.

"My foot feels a lot better,” said Gates, the team's leading receiver with 56 catches, 784 yards and seven touchdowns. "It's just day by day. I'm preparing to play this week.”

That might be a stretch. Then again, Gates' body language revealed someone not expecting to be out long, if at all.

"I really haven't tested my foot at all, it's been in this (walking boot) since the minute it happened,” Gates said. "Wednesday will be first real test to see how it feels.”

Gates suffered his first significant injury as a Charger after catching a third-quarter, 21-yard pass from Drew Brees. As Gates saw safety Lawyer Milloy close in from his left side, he tried to outrun trailing linebacker Angelo Crowell. Gates was caught by Crowell, who then fell awkwardly on Gates' right foot after Gates had planted it.

"Maybe if I was fast enough I could get away from him,” Gates said, mocking his lack of speed. "That's my 5.0, 5.4 40 (yard dash).”

Gates said his foot went numb, then slowly felt better.

"The feeling came back and I was able to walk away and I was ready to get back in the game," said Gates, who set an NFL mark for tight ends last year with 13 touchdown catches. "As I got to the sidelines it wasn't as well as I thought it was as I walked off the field. But (the medical staff) felt it was time for me to shut it down."

He traveled to the locker room on a cart, the same manner in which he exited the stadium for the parking lot.

But it doesn't appear that Gates will be idled long.

"His spirits are high,” Brees said. "He is a tough guy; we don't want him to miss any time.”

If Gates does miss a game, he knows the ribbing won't be far behind. His teammates love poking fun at him that basketball players —— which Gates was at Kent State —— aren't as tough as football players.

"That's the basketball mentality people see me as,” said Gates, who had five receptions for 77 yards and a score before getting hurt Sunday. "In a game, something might be hurting, something like a finger. And this sounds so feminine to come to a trainer and say, 'my fingernail hurts.' I keep that stuff to myself. I know the first thing they are going to say is, 'Here he goes with his basketball stuff.' Most of my little bitty injuries I keep to myself.

"The ankle and foot was something extremely hurtful at the time. It's one of those injuries —— football, basketball, hockey, boxing —— that's going to hurt.”

But not for long. Or at least Gates and the Chargers hope so.

"You don't ever like to see any player sustain any type of injury,” Schottenheimer said. "In his case, he is a big part of what we are doing overall as a football team.”

Overall, the sigh of relief heard throughout Chargers Park was evident. Outside of Brees and LaDainian Tomlinson, Gates is the Chargers player the team can least afford to lose in its stretch run for a playoff berth.

"Right now I need to continue to take care of it,” Gates said, "and we will see how it feels on Wednesday.”

CHARGERS NOTES —— Coach Marty Schottenheimer was somewhat optimistic OLB Steve Foley (abdominal strain) and LT Roman Oben (foot) could practice on Wednesday after they missed Sunday's game. … Other than Antonio Gates, the team didn't report any injuries from Sunday. … The team and the San Diego Blood Bank will conduct Chargers Blood Drive XXVII, from 9 a.m.- 7 p.m. today at the Town and Country Convention Center in San Diego. Those donating blood will receive a long-sleeve T-shirt. … The Chargers' 38-point victory on Sunday was the fifth-highest margin in team history.

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.