The Chargers have a chance to wrap up a playoff appearance on Monday night
The Los Angeles Chargers control their own postseason destiny tonight traveling to Indiana to take on the struggling Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football in a battle of two teams heading in completely opposite directions.
The Chargers are starting to get healthy at just the right time to try to make their first postseason appearance since 2018. Justin Herbert has been a star since entering the league but a postseason has been the thing that has alluded the signal caller. With all his weapons at his disposal, Herbert and the Chargers have won two in a row against playoff-hopeful teams to climb to the sixth seed in the AFC. The defense which had struggled and has allowed 369.5 yards per game and 24 points per game had held both the Dolphins and Titans to less than 17 points and now gets a Colts team making another quarterback switch. With Derwin James returning to a unit that sacked the Titans four times last week, the Chargers will try to get after Nick Foles early and often to ensure they have complete control of this game.
The Colts are still trying to continue to find a spark to end the season. That is why Jeff Saturday made the move to bench Matt Ryan again in favor of Foles to try to help lift a struggling offense. The Colts have lost four in a row with a historic collapse last week against the Minnesota Vikings where they lead 33-0 at halftime. Foles has not started since week 16 of last season for the Bears and will have his work cut out for him to try to save a passing attack that has scored the 3rd fewest passing touchdowns in the NFL at 14. While the Colts ideally would want to lean on the identity they molded themselves on with running the football and strong defense, things have not exactly gone that way. The running game has struggled most of the season with the lack of passing games and without Johnathon Taylor being able to replicate the magic from the previous season before going down for the year with an injury. The defense is currently 25th in the NFL in scoring defense allowing 24 points per game as they set to face a loaded Chargers offense.
How to watch
What: Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) at Indianapolis Colts(4-9-1)
When: Monday, Dec. 26
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Game time: 8:15 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters (field reporter)
Radio: National Radio: Westwood One; Sirius channels: 81 (Chargers), 83 (Colts), 88 (National); XM channels: 226 (Chargers), 225 (Colts), 88 (National)
Online streaming: Fubo | NFL Game Pass (Free trial)
DraftKings Sportsbook Odds: Chargers -3.5
Referee: Clay Martin