Preview: Colts to Take on High Powered Chargers!

Well #Colts fans the year is upon us. We were MIA this offseason and during the Andrew Luck fiasco. Tyler gave his piece about it in yesterday’s season preview. That being said everything that can be said about that situation has been said and for better or for worse Jacoby Brissett is now QB1 for the Indianapolis Colts. For the record, Tyler and I have come to the opinion that the team is going to be just fine. So now onto the football on the field.

Your Indianapolis Colts play the Los Angeles Chargers in week one of the 2019-20 NFL Season in L.A. The Chargers are going to be without their top playmaker in running back Melvin Gordon as he continues his holdout for a new contract. While that is an important factor the Chargers still have plenty of weapons on offense. Austin Ekeler will be the starting running back for the Chargers to start the season and while he did not have a prolific 2018 season like Gordon did he still had a consistent season. In fourteen games last season he had 106 carriers for 554 yards and an average yards per carry of 5.2. Unfortunately for the Colts, he is a two-way threat as he can catch out of the backfield as well. He had thirty-nine receptions for 404 yards for an average of 10.4 yards per reception.

Chargers' RB Austin Ekeler rushing against the Eagles last season. Photo Credit Western Colorado University.

The Chargers have a strong receiving corps as well with Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Travis Benjamin, and former Colt, Dontrelle Inman. Allen had ninety-seven receptions last season for 1196 yards, and six touchdowns. Williams went for 664 yards and ten touchdowns last season. The defensive backs for the Colts are going to be put the test to contain Allen and Williams along Benjamin and Inman. And let’s not forget the most important part of the Chargers’ offense, my second least favorite quarterback in the NFL, Phillip Rivers. Thirty-seven years old and still playing at an All-Pro level. He threw for 4308 yards and thirty-two touchdowns last season.

Now after saying all of these great things about the Chargers’ offense, I do not think they are just going to run over the Colts’ defense. This will be an opportunity to see the true potential of the Colts young defense. The defensive line should be able to get plenty of pressure on Rivers with Justin Houston, Margus Hunt and Denico Autry up front, especially with the Chargers missing their starting Left Tackle, Russell Okung. The biggest issue with the line will be that Jabaal Sheard is likely to miss week 1 with a knee injury. I think the most important factor for the Colts this week is will they be able to stop the run. If they can stop the run, they can effectively shut down the play-action. Ekeler is not Melvin Gordon, but he is capable and the Colts should not turn a blind eye to him. Shutting down the play-action is important to me because last year the Colts ranked seventeenth in passing defense allowing 237.8 points per game. Shutting down the play-action will allow the defensive backs to give up fewer big plays to the likes of Allen and Williams. The defense is much improved from last year and I expect a solid outing from them.

Where the Colts will truly be tested is on the offensive side of the ball. There are weapons galore for Brissett: running backs Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines, wide receivers TY Hilton, Deon Cain, Devin Funchess, Parris Campbell, and Zach Pascal (I refuse to place Chester Rogers under the category of weapon), and tight-ends Jack Doyle, Eric Ebron, and Mo-Alie Cox. The Colts also have what is regarded as one of the best offensive lines in football. They will need to be at their best as they try to contain the one-two punch of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram that will be coming after Brissett. The Chargers are without Pro Bowl Safety Derwin James this week but the Chargers have no shortage of talent in the defensive backfield with cornerbacks Casey Heyward and Desmond King leading the way.

QB1 Jacoby Brissett. Photo Credit Fox News

The only true wildcard for the Colts is QB1, Brissett. We will find out what potential he truly has on Sunday as the Chargers have what nfl.com considers is the best defense in the NFL. Unfortunately, I believe there will be a couple turnovers by the Colts offense this week.

I think that this first week is going to be a heck of a challenge for the Colts. The Chargers are so good on both sides of the ball and let’s be honest, we do not really know how good Brissett is (I think he is good, but there is always a chance he is not). The Colts will put up a solid fight against the Chargers, but the talent of the Chargers, turnovers and the fact that Phillip Rivers always balls out against the Colts will lead to a Colts opening week loss. Chargers win 24-16. Please Colts prove me wrong.

For the record: Tyler had the Chargers winning this game with or without Luck.