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The Christmas weekend slate of video games is over, however there’s nonetheless yet one more contest left to play in Week 16 of the NFL season. On “Monday Night time Soccer,” the Indianapolis Colts will play host to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Indianapolis is making one more quarterback change this week, turning to Nick Foles instead of Matt Ryan, who earlier this yr was benched in favor of Sam Ehlinger. Once you blow the most important lead in NFL regular-season historical past, generally you have to make some adjustments, I suppose. The Chargers, in the meantime, have received back-to-back video games since getting each Keenan Allen and Mike Williams again within the lineup collectively, and want to make it three in a row and in doing so, clinch a playoff berth.
So, will the Chargers preserve their profitable streak going, or will the Colts put an finish to all that? We’ll discover out quickly sufficient. Earlier than we break down the matchup, here is a take a look at how one can watch the sport.
Methods to watch
Date: Monday, Dec. 26 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
TV: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (attempt free of charge)
Comply with: CBS Sports App
Odds: Chargers -4, O/U 45.5 (courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook)
When the Chargers have the ball
The Chargers have run 958 performs to date this season. In line with TruMedia, they’ve had each Allen and Williams on the sphere on the identical time for simply 150 of them. On these 150 snaps, L.A. has averaged 5.81 yards per play. On its different 808 snaps, L.A. has gained solely 5.17 yards per play. That will not appear to be an infinite disparity, but it surely’s the distinction between being seventh within the NFL in yards per play and being twenty fourth. In different phrases, it is extraordinarily vital.
The duo has been on the sphere collectively over the previous two weeks, and maybe not coincidentally, the Chargers have totaled 797 yards throughout these two contests. They someway managed solely 40 mixed factors in these two video games, as a result of the Chargers merely can not assist however Chargering issues up on occasion, however the two video games did finish in wins — the primary time the Chargers have notched consecutive victories since defeating the decrepit Texans, Browns, and Broncos again in Weeks 4, 5, and 6.
Indy’s protection has been about common in opposition to each the cross and run this season, however has been susceptible to the deep ball when it is thrown at anyone aside from Stephon Gilmore. The Chargers may hardly threaten any protection down the sphere throughout Williams’ absence with a high-ankle sprain, however since he is returned, they’ve confirmed extra able to doing so.
Solely 5 groups have gotten strain on opposing quarterbacks much less usually (as a share of dropbacks) than the Colts, so Justin Herbert ought to have time to push the ball deep. Taking focused photographs to Williams — among the best contested-catch winners within the NFL — additionally opens issues up beneath for Allen and Austin Ekeler, who’re Herbert’s favored high-volume targets. The trio works in live performance to assault all areas of the sphere.
The Colts have yielded only one.49 yards earlier than contact per rush to date this season, per TruMedia, the seventh-lowest mark within the league. L.A. has tended to depend on Ekeler (and Josh Kelley, and the opposite backups) to create yards after contact anyway, however Indy’s stinginess on the line if not a great signal for the Chargers’ prospects of working it with success right here.
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When the Colts have the ball
The Jeff Saturday-era Colts have wished to play a ground-and-pound fashion, however Jonathan Taylor is out for the yr. Ryan has as soon as once more been deposed because the beginning quarterback, this time by Foles. The offensive line has been disappointing all season.
Just about anyone can run the ball in opposition to this Chargers protection, so maybe Zack Moss and/or Deon Jackson can get occurring the bottom, however the chance of the Foles-led passing sport getting something going in opposition to a Chargers protection that has held three of its most up-to-date 4 opponents below 200 passing yards appears vanishingly low. It is powerful to say what Foles’ cross distribution will seem like as a result of we’ve not seen him play with this staff, or seen him play in any respect for the higher a part of two seasons. We largely know what we’re getting with him, although, and it is normally not high-level quarterback play.
Prediction
Featured Recreation | Indianapolis Colts vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Rating: Chargers 27, Colts 13
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