The Indianapolis Colts took a trip to Los Angeles for the second time this season, this time redeeming their loss inside SoFi Stadium from earlier in the year in emphatic fashion, with a 38-24 win over the Chargers.
The question marks surrounding the Indianapolis defense were covered up by the complementary and productive offense the Colts displayed once again. The Colts scored on six of their eight full drives, totaling five touchdowns and a field goal.
The offensive efficiency was apparent from the very beginning of the game, after the Colts put together a five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that consisted of two runs and three passes. Immediately, the Colts proved that they were capable of success against the Chargers defense both on the ground and through the air.
The modus operandi of the offense in Indianapolis this season has involved an early establishment of a reliable run game, which opens up the playbook and allows RPO concepts to be executed effectively. The Colts had their full bag of tricks on hand in Los Angeles, as the Chargers struggled to shut down the run game and suffered from the extreme variance in offensive approaches thrown their way as a result.
Daniel Jones completed 23 of 34 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns — hauled in by Michael Pittman Jr. and Tyler Warren — while Alec Pierce led the way in receiving yards with 98 off of five catches. Jonathan Taylor reached the endzone three times, with a total of 94 yards off of 16 carries.
The Colts offense was the star of the show, setting the tone early and dictating the flow of the game through its balanced and effective approach to dismantling opposing defenses.
The defense, on the other hand, continued to raise concerns. Kenny Moore II returned to the secondary this week, but the group is evidently still alarmingly exploitable after being ravaged by injuries.
Justin Herbert was able to complete 37 of 55 passes for 420 yards and three touchdowns. Keenan Allen and Oronde Gadsden II each picked up over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, while Quentin Johnston turned one of his two receptions into the third touchdown for the Chargers.
Herbert and his receivers gashed the Colts through the air, allowing them to move the chains via a pass play 19 times in the game while converting on third down eight times and on fourth down three times. Undoubtedly, Herbert’s ability to pass for more yards than he has in any other game this season was in part enabled by the battered and bruised nature of the Indianapolis secondary.
That said, Los Angeles struggled to overcome their own pitfalls, which contributed to their inability to keep up with a dynamic Colts offense. Paired with his three touchdown passes, Herbert threw a pair of interceptions. The first came off of a tipped pass that turned into a Grover Stewart interception, and the second occurred in the end zone as Nick Cross jumped in front of the receiver for a turnover.
Herbert’s interceptions certainly swung both possession of the ball and overall momentum towards the Colts, but the extreme injury issues Los Angeles is experiencing had an even greater impact on the result.
Multiple key offensive lineman and running backs were not available on Sunday, creating a functionally inept run game that collected only 54 yards, 31 of which were obtained by the quarterback.
The offensive line injuries were also manifested through a consistent inability to protect the passer. Herbert was sacked three times and hit an astounding 15 times, while the Indianapolis pass rush also racked up four tackles for a loss.
Herbert was often forced out of the pocket and forced to rush his throwing motion, resulting in inaccurate throws and stunted drives. The Chargers offense was forced to rely on the passing game because of the lack of a reliable run presence, but the offensive line couldn’t keep Herbert comfortable in the pocket. The Los Angeles offense suffered, and turned the ball over more times than it scored in the first half.
The Indianapolis pass rush compensated for its flaws in the secondary, allowing its balanced and effective offense to outpace the Los Angeles offense that exhibited the opposite traits.
The beat up Los Angeles Chargers have a short week coming up, as they host the Minnesota Vikings at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday Night Football. The Colts return home to face the Tennessee Titans for the second time this season at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday. In week three, the Colts raced past the Titans in a 41-20 victory.
The Colts are flawed and have unfilled holes in their roster, but remain at the top of the AFC as the only team in the conference with one loss or fewer. The offense is undeniably one of the most productive and efficient in the league, and it fueled a quality win against a team that is expected to be in the playoff mix at the end of the year.