With seven sacks, Chargers defense leads Colts rout

INDIANAPOLIS — Two teams heading in different directions continued their journey Monday night as the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) won their third straight to clinch a playoff berth with a 20-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Indianapolis Colts (4-10-1), which lost its fifth in a row.

Neither attack was particularly clean as LA quarterback Justin Herbert failed to throw a touchdown pass, threw an interception and lost a fumble. Meanwhile, the Colts have turned to veteran Nick Foles as the third starting QB this season, replacing Matt Ryan who was inactive on Monday. Foles threw three interceptions without a TD.

The Chargers defense has been relentless, sacking Foles seven times.

Although Indy’s offense turned into another lethargic game, the Colts’ defense continued to perform at a high level, sacking Herbert four times.

Los Angeles Chargers

Dominant defensive performance, paired with timely offensive plays, provided the perfect formula for the Chargers.

For the first time since 2018, the Bolts will return to the playoffs, earning their first playoff berth under sophomore head coach Brandon Staley.

Going into Week 16, the Chargers had a direct path to the playoffs if they won their remaining matchups. However, their ticket to the playoffs came faster than expected after the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders lost.

QB Breakdown: Herbert overcame an uneven start — which included a first-quarter interception — to find a way to get the Bolts moving in the first half. Herbert went 3 of 6 for 20 yards and the pick on the first three drives, then went 12 of 13 for 125 yards on the final two drives of the first half. After losing a third quarter sack fumble, Herbert put together a 12-play, 88-yard drive that culminated in a 1-yard touchdown by Austin Ekeler that sealed a victory midway through the fourth quarter. Herbert finished 24 of 31 for 235 yards.

Promising trend: The defense has struggled for most of the season, seeming to feel the effects of losing point rusher Joey Bosa, cornerback JC Jackson and several injured linemen. But, the Staley-led unit is now peaking at the perfect time. For the fourth straight game, the Bolts allowed no points in the first quarter, the longest such streak by the team since 2011. Foles was 0 for 4 with an interception and a sack on third down. Three players — cornerbacks Michael Davis and Asante Samuel Jr. and safety Derwin James Jr. — all intercepted passes.

Sustained excellence: Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen had 10 receptions in a game for the 16th time in his career, the fifth since entering the NFL in 2013. In six games since returning from a hamstring injury that has sidelined and slowed Allen for nine games, he again became a prime target for Herbert. Allen caught 11 passes for 104 yards. –Lindsey Thiry

Under-the-radar stats that matter: The Chargers’ seven sacks were their most in a game since recording nine in 2016 against the Cleveland Browns.

next game: vs. Rams (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 1)

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts’ third quarterback change of this wayward season failed to produce meaningful offensive results as Indianapolis continued to struggle to move the football and score runs.

The Colts again stalled on offense, producing 173 total yards and being limited to 10 points or less for the fourth time this season. Remarkably, the Colts went 0 for 10 on third downs of the game. It was only Foles’ second start since November 2020, and he will be remembered for his misfires and inability to escape defensive pressure. Foles threw three interceptions, completed just 17 of 29 pass attempts for 143 yards, and was sacked seven times.

The biggest hole in the game plan: The Colts came out shooting the ball with an aggressive passing offense, despite playing a quarterback who received minimal practice time with the starting offense from camp coaching. Foles said after being promoted last week that he hasn’t thrown wide receivers and starting tight ends since preseason, having spent most of the past few months working on the scouting team. This appeared almost immediately, with Foles and his receivers struggling to connect amid a number of communication issues.

The Colts are missing injured running back Jonathan Taylor, but the Chargers are also one of the worst defenses in the NFL. The Colts didn’t attempt to lean into the running game until the third quarter.

Disturbing trend: The Colts again showed promise on defense, harassing Herbert and limiting Los Angeles in the ground game. But something that has continued to happen in recent weeks is that the unit is running out of gas in part due to the ineffectiveness of the Indianapolis offense. The Colts’ inability to keep up practices and score consistently put undue pressure on the defense, and the unit was unable to sustain performance for four quarters. It happened two games ago in Dallas, when the Colts committed turnovers on four straight possessions. And it happened last week in Minnesota, when Indianapolis only crossed the 50-yard line twice in the second half. It resulted in a historic comeback win as the Vikings overcame a 33-0 halftime deficit.

Describe the game in two words: No more disappointment. The Colts are down seven of eight and five of six since replacing former head coach Frank Reich with Jeff on Saturday. Specifically, Indianapolis has given up 113 points in its last three games. — Stephen Holder

Under-the-radar statistics that matter: Foles was 4 of 10 for 57 yards with three interceptions on throws over 10 aerial yards.

Next game: at the Giants (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan. 1)