After the "Game of the Century" loss to New England, can the Indianapolis Colts bounce back to deal with the unpredictable San Diego Chargers? Oddsmakers think so, as Indy is -3.5 on WagerWeb.com.
"I think we understand what's at stake," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "We can't afford a letdown because we have to get ourselves going and get back on the winning track."
If that's the case, Indy will have to do so with a thin receiving corps. Pro Bowler Marvin Harrison did not make the trip, missing his fourth game in five due to a bruised knee. And 2007 first-rounder Anthony Gonzalez also will not play due to injury, putting the impetus on Reggie Wayne and fill-in starter Aaron Moorehead.
Even with Peyton Manning at QB, expect the Colts to hammer the ground game today with Joseph Addai. After all, the Chargers, who are ranked 14th in the league against the run, allowed Minnesota rookie running back Adrian Peterson to get loose for an NFL single-game record 296 yards last week (Addai is third in the league in rushing).
Actually, the Chargers were the NFL's seventh-ranked rushing defense before Peterson, having allowed an average of 88.9 rushing yards and only two rushing touchdowns all season. The Vikings rushed 43 times for 378 yards and four touchdowns. "Peterson is a great back. We'll look at the plays Minnesota ran and try to get an idea if that's going to be helpful to us. [Running back] Joseph [Addai] is running well for us, and I know anytime you can be balanced and run and throw it, it definitely helps you. So hopefully we can have that same type of success," Dungy said.
Of course, two of the league's top players will be in this game in Manning and Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson, the reigning NFL MVP. Tomlinson has been uneven this season. He ran for 113.4 yards per game in 2006, but is averaging 82.1 yards on the ground this year with eight total TDs.
However, the key could be struggling Chargers QB Philip Rivers, who was only 19 of 42 for 197 yards, no TDs and an INT last week in the loss to Minnesota.
Just two quarterbacks, meanwhile, have thrown for more than 200 yards against the Colts, who have 11 interceptions and are tied with New England for the best turnover differential (plus-11), just ahead of No. 3 San Diego (plus-8).
The lowdown: Indy has scored at least 20 points in every game and at least 29 in all but two for an average of 30.5, third in the league. And, the Chargers will be without starters DE Luis Castillo and CB Quentin Jammer on defense. San Diego did upset then-unbeaten Indy 26-17 when the teams last met, in Week 15 of the 2005 season and has won three of its four contests at Qualcomm Stadium this season, outscoring opponents in the process, 93-57. If it was any team but Indy in this one, you would tend to bet against it in what has to be a letdown game, even against a team with as much potential as San Diego.
However, Manning won't let the Colts let down, so look for an Indy cover.
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