Statistically, the Indianapolis Colts are now out of it.
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ win Thursday night against the New York Jets means that it is now impossible for Jeff Saturday to lead his team into the postseason. The front office and coaching staff are now left with more questions than answers.
The Los Angeles Chargers come into this one fighting for a playoff spot, as they slowly get healthy and prepare for a run. This team should terrify the coaches in Indianapolis, as Los Angeles’ strengths line up with the Colts weaknesses.
Here are the keys to victory for the Colts if they want to keep their hopes alive.
Defend the edge
The Colts offense line roller coaster continues, as we saw some good and bad moments from last week’s loss in Minnesota. Rookie Bernard Raimann has been quietly getting better each week and could have a future in this system. This week, he will face his toughest test yet.
The Chargers have an elite pass rush. Khalil Mack and Kyle Van Noy have both had dominant seasons and could ruin Indy’s game plan early. Raimann and Braden Smith will have to seal the edge and protect Nick Foles, who is making his first start of the season.
Get open
The talent is there when it comes to Indy’s receiving corps, but the consistency is not. With a quarterback chance it could be fixed, but the production levels of Alec Pierce, Parris Campbell, and Jelani Woods remain to be a gamble every week.
It will be up to these receivers and their leader, Michael Pittman Jr. to get create space against a Chargers defense that has been banged up all season. With the time to throw, there could be a potential for the deep passing game to open up.
Prevent the pass
The strength of the Chargers offense comes from their passing game, which can be one of the best in the NFL. With Justin Herbert under center throwing to his big wide receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, it could be a long night for the Colts secondary that struggled last week.
Perhaps the most underrated part of LA’s offensive scheme is their ability to use Austin Ekeler. He is a relented running back that is one of the league’s best pass catchers out of the backfield. It will be a challenge for Zaire Franklin and the Indianapolis linebackers to keep him in check, while also helping out in the passing game as a whole.
Run the ball
Nick Foles’ first start comes with an immediate disadvantage not having Jonathan Taylor. The all-pro running back wasn’t having a standout season, but his presence was definitely appreciated by whoever has been taking snaps at quarterback this season.
Without Taylor, the Colts need to find a way to move the ball on the ground. Deon Jackson has been a solid backup this year and can be the feature back in this offense with some help from Zack Moss and now Jordan Wilkins who was signed back to the team this week. As long as the offensive line does its job up front, the Colts should be able to establish a run game and stay in this Monday night matchup.
