The Chargers are set to host the Colts this Sunday for the 2019 regular season-opener.
Indianapolis is coming off one of their best campaigns in recent years after going 10-6 and winning a Wild Card matchup against the Texans.
Going into 2019, they won’t be with quarterback Andrew Luck after he announced his retirement a couple weeks ago, but the Colts still have a talented roster across the board.
With that, there are a few notable players that Los Angeles will really have to make sure they’re game planned for in order to have success.
Here are five players on Indianapolis that the Bolts should hone in on:
G Quenton Nelson
It’s not often that an offensive lineman enters the NFL and is dominant from his first snap, but Nelson begs to differ. After being selected in the first-round of last year’s draft, Nelson quickly established himself as one of the best guards in the league.
Nelson was a key component to an offensive line that didn’t allow a sack in over 150 straight drop backs, and also helped his team have 200 rushing yards in back-to-back games. For his efforts, he was named to the Pro Bowl and earned first-team All-Pro.
If the Chargers wish to get any interior pressure on quarterback Jacoby Brissett or disrupt the run, defensive tackles Brandon Mebane, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery will need to make sure that they bring their A-game going up against one of the most prolific offensive lineman.
LB Darius Leonard
The Colts didn’t just knock it out of the park with their first-round draft selection, they managed to do it a round later with Leonard. The pick was puzzling at first, but the former South Carolina State product quickly changed the people’s minds that were doubting it.
By the end of the season, Leonard amassed 163 tackles, eight passes defensed, seven sacks and two interceptions. The phenomenal rookie campaigned earned him Defensive Rookie of the Year, as well as AP first-team All-Pro.
Leonard will be lined up on tight end Hunter Henry and will be seeking to stop running backs Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson. Preventing him from making plays all over the field will be what the Chargers need to do in order to have success on offense.
WR T.Y. Hilton
There’s been a lot of people downgrading Hilton after Luck announced his retirement. Many believe that he won’t be as much of a force with Brissett under center, but he is not to be taken lightly still.
Hilton dealt with several injuries in 2018, but he still managed to finish the season with 76 receptions for 1,270 yards and six touchdowns, all while dealing with two nagging ankle sprains.
The Colts added more wide receivers to help take the pressure off of Hilton, but it’ll all be cornerback Casey Hayward on Sunday. Hayward will need to be on his best game in order to erase one of the top wideouts in the league.
EDGE Justin Houston
The Chargers are very familiar with game planning for Houston. Houston played with the Chiefs for the past eight seasons, but he found his way in Indianapolis after being released by Kansas City this offseason.
While Houston is getting up there in age (30) and has dealt with various injuries recently, he has remained productive the past two stints, posting 18.5 sacks in that span.
Los Angeles is questionable at tackle position, as Trent Scott and Sam Tevi will get the start. Scott is unproven in a starting role and Tevi struggled in 2018. Both players will need to keep the heat off of quarterback Philip Rivers in order to get into an offensive rhythm.
