On Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers and Indianapolis Colts will meet for the fourth consecutive season. The last time these two teams met in 2016 was 2016. The Colts won that game 26-22. Andrew Luck threw a 63-yard touchdown to T.Y. Hilton with just over a minute to play. Philip Rivers was not on the field in that game, so the Chargers are hoping to win despite their absence of Melvin Gordon and Derwin James.
The Chargers had Shawn Merriman out of the Wild Card Game when they last met. In fact, they were down to their last roster player when a Titans rookie knocked Merriman out. The Chargers trailed by nine and held on for a victory of 27-27. This game is one of the most intense games in Chargers vs. history.
The Chargers were two games out of the AFC West, and a win for the Colts would send them to the AFC wild card game. Their loss in Indy’s playoff game saw them drop to sixth in the AFC. Meanwhile, the Broncos moved up to 10th place in the conference and will have to face the defending AFC champion in a rematch next weekend.
Both offenses had their moments. The Chargers were able to make adjustments in the second half. The lead changed five more times during the game. Although the Colts’ back-up RB Michael Turner had a bad day, the Chargers’ defense was worn down. Rivers threw his third of three touchdown passes to Chris Chambers in the third quarter. Manning responded in the fourth quarter with a long drive, and a TD to Reggie Wayne.
While both teams could qualify for the playoffs, a loss by the Chargers would send the Jaguars to the AFC wild-card round. If they tie, the Raiders could still be in the playoffs but they will need to beat the Jaguars to stay in the race. In that case, the Chargers need to beat the Jaguars to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The Vikings have had a good start, and they’ll face the Cowboys on Monday Night Football. In addition to the Vikings, the Chargers will face the Cardinals and the Broncos. Both teams will need to rest some starters and they’ll face the Chiefs in Week 14.