Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 16 opponent: Colts

After winning their last two games, the Chargers meet with the Colts on Monday night as they look to stay hot and land a spot in the playoffs.

To get you prepped for the Week 16 bout, here are some key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

Change at quarterback

Indianapolis’ interim head coach Jeff Saturday announced that Nick Foles will be the starter over Matt Ryan. The decision to bench Ryan in favor of Foles came after the Colts found themselves as the victim of the biggest comeback in NFL history in their 39-33 loss to the Vikings in Week 15. In his 11-year career, Foles has thrown for 14,003 yards with 82 touchdowns to 43 interceptions and a completion percentage of 62.4.

Star running back out

Jonathan Taylor’s 2022 season is over. The Colts placed him on the injured reserve with an ankle injury. Taylor missed time throughout the year because of the issue and posted 861 yards, four touchdowns, and 28 catches for 143 yards in 11 games. This was trending nowhere near his 2021 campaign, which saw him amass a league-high 332 carries for 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns. In Taylor’s absence, Indianapolis will likely lean on Deon Jackson and Zack Moss.

One-man show

Despite the change at quarterback, the Colts’ passing offense will likely still revolve around wide receiver Michael Pittman. Pittman is the team leader in receptions (86), targets (121) and receiving yards (815). Behind Pittman are Parris Campbell and rookie Alec Pierce, who each have 510 receiving yards.

Gus’ group

The Chargers will play a familiar face in former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who now serves in the same role after overseeing the Raiders’ defense two years prior. Statistically, the Colts rank 11th in defensive DVOA, 14th in passing defense DVOA and 13th in rushing defense DVOA. Bradley’s scheme is still heavily predicated on Cover 3, a coverage that has given Justin Herbert some problems.

Other notes

• Defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are elite against the run, both with 36 run stops and in the top 15 among interior defensive linemen in run-stop percentage.
• Edge defenders Yannick Ngakoue and Kwity Paye have 41 and 25 pressures, respectively. Ngakoue leads the team in sacks (12), while Paye is third with six.
• The Colts offensive line is 26th in pass-blocking efficiency. They have allowed the third-most sacks (29).