The Indianapolis Colts will travel to Los Angeles this week for a showdown between two teams that exited the playoffs in the AFC divisional round in 2018.
The Chargers are still experiencing a holdout from star running back Melvin Gordon, who is still seeking a new contract. Gordon is on the last year of his rookie contract and as of last week, the Chargers gave Gordon and his agent permission to find a trade partner.
According to ESPN’s Josina Anderson, one team has engaged in trade talks with LA, but it is only preliminary steps for now. Gordon will most likely be out of Sunday’s matchup, which is good news for the Colts.
Another star the Colts will not have to worry about is all-pro safety Derwin James, who was placed on the injured reserve following a foot injury which resulted in surgery. He is expected to be back in the final weeks of the season.
Even without star caliber players like Gordon and James, the Chargers still have a very talented roster with a lot of depth.
Here are five players the Colts should gameplan for:
RB Austin Ekeler
In the wake of injuries to Gordon down the stretch of the 2018 season, Ekeler stepped up in a big way.
He had 554 rushing yards in 2018 along with three trips to the end zone. Ekeler also totaled 404 receiving yards adding three more touchdowns.
He is a dual threat, quick halfback with great ability to catch passes out of the backfield. The Colts must contain him as an option in an already dangerous pass game.
With Gordon possibly even leaving LA, Ekeler has a lot to prove if he wants to be the Chargers running back of the future.
DE Joey Bosa
The No. 3 overall pick in 2016 came into the league with a lot of hype around him. At Ohio State, Bosa was a menace up front and probably could have gone No. 1 overall if the Rams and Eagles both didn’t need quarterbacks.
So far in the NFL, Bosa has been kind of underwhelming. With limited playing time due to injury and contract disputes heading into his rookie season, the league has not had a chance to see the real Bosa.
This offseason he comes in healthy and issue free for the first time since 2017. In just seven games last season, Bosa recorded 18 solo tackles and 5.5 sacks.
The Colts offensive line must make Bosa priority No. 1 if they want to protect Jacoby Brissett on Sunday.
WR Keenan Allen
Keenan Allen, one of the best deep-ball receivers in the league, had a career year in 2018, finishing with 1,196 yards and six touchdowns.
Allen has always been regarded as one of the most talented receivers in the game, but his inability to stay on the field has been an issue for him and LA. Either way, he will be on the field Sunday and has to be accounted for by the Colts secondary.
A matchup to watch will be rookie cornerback, Rock Ya-Sin who might end up covering Allen at some point in the game. it will be a good test for the young corner in his first NFL game.
DE Melvin Ingram
Across from Bosa on the other side of a threatening defensive line is Ingram, heading into his eighth NFL season.
Ingram finished 2018 with 26 solo tackles, seven sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. Combined with a healthy Bosa, these two form one of the best defensive end combinations in the league.
Ingram experienced a dip in production from 2017 to 2018 while anchoring a beat-up Chargers defense but with some new additions and young players returning, the South Carolina product should not be taken lightly.
Expect the Colts offensive line to have their hands full on Sunday with this formidable pass rush.
QB Philip Rivers
When discussing the LA Chargers, it is hard to not bring up Phillip Rivers, heading into his 16th NFL season.
Rivers finished 2018 with 4,308 yards, 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He is a dangerous deep-ball thrower with the targets to hurt a secondary down the field.
Rivers is always consistent and until we see a drop in production, Rivers will still be a prominent quarterback in this league.
The Colts young and fast pass rush has to get after Rivers early and not give him too much time in the pocket to set up downfield.
