Tough break for the Chargers’ defense who were unable to stop the run

On the heels of a 29-27 win against the Miami Dolphins last week, the Chargers had the opportunity to win two in a row and finally regain a sense of football identity after missing a couple beats in previous games. Unfortunately, the Indianapolis Colts played with more physicality and desire to win, preventing the Bolts from tasting victory, even while at home. 

From kickoff, the Chargers’ defense was unable to halt the Colts’ progression down the field. QB Daniel Jones found an early rhythm for their offense, moving the chains with a firm poise. RB Jonathan Taylor penetrated the Chargers’ frontline for a 23-yard rushing touchdown, setting the Chargers down a score early on. Luckily for the Bolts, Colts kicker Michael Badgley missed the extra point, leaving the score 6-0.

On the following drive, Herbie and the rest of the offense weren’t able to exactly replicate that immediate success. Despite a few connecting passes, the Chargers were forced to opt for a field goal by kicker Cameron Dicker, adding three to the scoreboard thanks to a 43-yarder, inching the score to 6-3.

In return, the Colts resumed their high-octane attack on a rather unusually long drive lasting the remaining 6 minutes of the first quarter and into the second. However, it proved to be worth it as QB Daniel Jones found WR Michael Pittman Jr. with the 4-yard side pass for the touchdown, making the score 13-3 along with kicker Badgley’s second extra point. 

Things began to unravel for the Chargers offensively, and they clearly showed signs of a lapse in focus and physical grit. There was no end zone in sight for Herbert and company yet again, punting the ball after another failed drive. The Colts took advantage, mounting an even further lead of 20-3 due to a 5-yard short pass to rookie TE Tyler Warren. But it only got worse for the Bolts on the next drive.

Down the stretch of their offensive march, Herbert’s shotgun pass to rookie TE Oronde Gadsden II was intercepted by Colts CB Grover Stewart, freezing any spark of momentum they had. And despite the Colts’ punting the ball on their very first failed drive of the game, the Chargers were dealt another crushing blow with Herbie’s second interception, this time at the hands of Colts CB Nick Cross, who disrupted a short pass en route to WR Quentin Johnston. The error was capitalized by Indianapolis with a 36-yard field goal to make the score 23-3 into the half. 

The Chargers finally showed signs of life in the third, thanks to a revamped level of intensity, delivering the anticipated entertaining shootout fans were hoping to see. WR Quentin Johnston grabbed a sleek 7-yard short pass from Herbert to give the Bolts their first tub of the match and make the score 23-10. Though that difference was quickly accounted for by RB Jonathan Taylor, who found the end zone for his second score of the night on an 8-yard dash. WR Michael Pittman Jr. was also good on the 2-point conversion, bringing their lead back to 31-10.

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But the Chargers were unfazed and swiftly returned the favor, as WR Keenan Allen put another six on the board for the Bolts on a shifty 4-yard haul. Kicker Camerson Dicker’s extra point was good, turning the score to 31-17. And in what felt like a routine response, RB Jonathan Taylor returned to the end zone for his third time, earning the hat-trick on a 19-yard rushing touchdown, giving the Colts a 38-17 lead into the fourth.

Valiantly, the Chargers put their best foot forward on the next drive. After moving the chains down the grass, Herbert found TE Oronde Gadsden II for the first touchdown of his NFL career, this time on a 15-yard pass. Despite their defense forcing the Colts to punt, the Chargers couldn’t chip at the score for the rest of the clock, ending the game in a loss, 38-24.

Out of time, the Bolts took too long to finally start clicking on either side of the ball; had they begun the match with a stronger urge to score like they did in the third, things could have gone differently. QB Justin Herbert finished with 420 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions on 37/55 throws. TE Oronde Gadsden II stepped up big, tallying 164 receiving yards and 1 touchdown on 7 catches, while WR Keenan Allen had 119 receiving yards and 1 touchdown on 11 receptions, and WR Quentin Johnston with 30 receiving yards and 1 touchdown on 2 catches. 

Now at 4-3, the Chargers still have plenty of kinks to iron out in terms of overall team energy and preventing costly turnovers. And they’ll have to figure that out on a much shorter notice in week 8, as the Chargers will be featured on the Thursday night slate alongside the visiting Minnesota Vikings, yet another formidable defense coming into SoFi Stadium that will challenge the limits of Herbert’s offense.Â