Indianapolis Colts vs. San Diego Chargers: Grading Each Team's Performance
Sunday Night Football in Week 12 treated us to what was supposed to be a marquee matchup between two potential playoff teams.
The Indianapolis Colts are a perennial powerhouse and the San Diego Chargers never lose this time of year. One of those things held true.
In this game, Peyton Manning had one of the worst days of his storied career, while Philip Rivers delivered another chapter of his MVP-like season.
Read on for a drive-by-drive analysis and grades for each team.
Indianapolis Colts' First Drive
1 of 24
Drive Stats:
12 plays, 78 yards, 5:44 elapsed, touchdown
The Analysis:
The Colts elected to receive the ball first and started on their own 22-yard line after an 18-yard return of the opening kickoff.
Peyton Manning was incredible on the drive, completing seven of his nine passes, including one on the final play of the drive that resulted in a four-yard touchdown reception by Jacob Tamme.
Donald Brown also averaged 4.33 yards per carry on the drive, all on first down runs.
The Grade:
A+
San Diego Chargers' First Drive
2 of 24
Drive Stats:
10 plays, 45 yards, 5:54 elapsed, field goal
The Analysis:
The Chargers really needed to get off to a good start after watching the Colts easily march down the field and punch the pigskin into the end zone.
Philip Rivers and Mike Tolbert helped them do exactly that.
Rivers completed four of his five passes for 29 yards, but threw an incompletion on a crucial 3rd-and-2 at the Indianapolis 10-yard line. Tolbert picked up 24 total yards on the drive.
Eventually, Nate Kaeding came on and nailed a 28-yard field goal.
The Grade:
B+
Indianapolis Colts' Second Drive
3 of 24
Drive Stats:
3 plays, 5 yards, 1:22 elapsed, interception returned for touchdown
The Analysis:
The stats say it all. Peyton threw a pick-six to Kevin Burnett. The interception was returned 29 yards for the score.
So much for that early lead.
The Grade:
F
Indianapolis Colts' Third Drive
4 of 24
Drive Stats:
5 plays, 27 yards, 2:10 elapsed, interception
The Analysis:
Peyton Manning was eager to rebound from his first quarter interception, but he didn't do a very good job.
After driving to midfield, the first play of the second quarter saw Manning throw his second pick of the game. This time it was Stephen Cooper.
At least Manning drove the ball a little bit and didn't allow a touchdown on the return. There has to be something positive, right?
The Grade:
C
San Diego Chargers' Third Drive
5 of 24
Drive Stats:
9 plays, 45 yards, 4:46 elapsed, field goal
The Analysis:
Starting with good field position and a three-point lead, the Chargers once again drove the ball down the field.
Rivers only completed two passes on the drive, but they went for a combined 32 yards. The running game was also good once again.
After another failed third down attempt, Kaeding kicked his second field goal of the game, this time from 33 yards out.
The Grade:
B+
Indianapolis Colts' Fourth Drive
6 of 24
Drive Stats:
5 plays, 21 yards, 2:47 elapsed, punt
The Analysis:
The drive started out promising when after two plays Manning had two completions for 15 yards, both to Reggie Wayne. But then it stalled.
A one-yard run, seven-yard completion, and incompletion later, the Colts had to punt.
The Grade:
B-
San Diego Chargers' Fourth Drive
7 of 24
Drive Stats:
5 plays, 26 yards, 2:27 elapsed, field goal
The Analysis:
Mike Tolbert reeled off a 21-yard run on the first play, then a two-yarder on the next. After a two-yard run by Darren Sproles and a sack of Rivers, Kaeding came on the field again.
This time he hit from 50-yards, bringing his total to three made field goals in just the first half.
The Grade:
B+
Indianapolis Colts' Fifth Drive
8 of 24
Drive Stats:
5 plays, 18 yards, 1:17 elapsed, punt
The Analysis:
Now down nine points, the Colts abandoned the running game all together and let Manning throw on all five plays.
He completed just three of the attempts, all to different receivers, but they eventually had to punt.
Again.
The Grade:
B-
San Diego Chargers' Fifth Drive
9 of 24
Drive Stats:
3 plays, 8 yards, 0:55 elapsed, punt
The Analysis:
After a one-yard run by Darren Sproles, the Chargers elected to pass rather than run the ball and force the Colts to either use their timeouts or let the half end.
Rivers threw one incompletion, then completed a pass to Sproles for seven yards.
But that still meant a three-and-out, so Scifres came on to punt.
The Grade:
C+
Indianapolis Colts' Sixth Drive
10 of 24
Drive Stats:
5 plays, 65 yards, 1:14 elapsed, touchdown
The Analysis:
With just 1:36 left, the Colts had to go 65 yards to score a touchdown. "No problem," said Peyton Manning (Well, he didn't actually say that. I think. But he was thinking it).
Manning completed two 30-yard passes on the drive, one to Jacob Tamme and the other to Pierre Garcon. Then he hit Blair White for a six-yard touchdown to bring the Colts within two points.
No problem.
The Grade:
A+
San Diego Chargers' Sixth Drive
11 of 24
Drive Stats:
1 play, 3 yards, 0:22 elapsed, end of half
The Analysis:
All that happened was Philip Rivers hitting Darren Sproles for three yards then letting the clock run out.
The Grade:
Incomplete
San Diego Chargers' Seventh Drive
12 of 24
Drive Stats:
10 plays, 55 yards, 5:42 elapsed, field goal
The Analysis:
The Chargers got the ball first in the second half with a two-point lead after the late Manning touchdown pass.
Rivers completed all five of his passes for 54 yards, but was sacked on the final third down of the drive.
As a result, Kaeding came on and made his fourth field goal of the game, this time from 30 yards.
The Grade:
B+
Indianapolis Colts' Seventh Drive
13 of 24
Drive Stats:
3 plays, 1 yard, 0:57 elapsed, interception returned for a touchdown
The Analysis:
Peyton Manning felt bad for Eric Weddle. Weddle had already seen two of his friends intercept passes and was feeling left out.
So after two unsuccessful plays, an incomplete pass to Reggie Wayne and a one-yard run by Donald Brown, Manning acquiesced and threw to Weddle.
The defender picked off the pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown.
The Grade:
F
Indianapolis Colts' Eighth Drive
14 of 24
Drive Stats:
3 plays, 4 yards, 1:07 elapsed, punt
The Analysis:
Now down 12 points, the Colts really needed to get on the board again.
This drive didn't go as planned though.
Manning was sacked, then threw an incompletion, then completed a pass to Javarris James for 10 yards on 3rd-and-16.
A punt ensued.
The Grade:
C-
San Diego Chargers' Eighth Drive
15 of 24
Drive Stats:
3 plays, 5 yards, 1:57 elapsed, punt
The Analysis:
With a chance to ice the game, Philip Rivers and the Chargers went three-and-out.
Tolbert was stuffed twice at the line, then Rivers' pass to Sproles came up short of the first down.
On came Scifres.
The Grade:
C
Indianapolis Colts' Ninth Drive
16 of 24
Drive Stats:
7 plays, 42 yards, 2:25 elapsed, turnover on downs
The Analysis:
This drive started out promising and it appeared as if the Colts might be staging the patented Peyton Manning comeback.
Donald Brown ran for five yards, then Manning completed passes of 15 and 16 yards to Brown and Jacob Tamme respectively.
But then Brown was stood up at the line, Blair White had a six-yard reception, and Manning threw back-to-back incompletions to turn the ball over on downs.
The Grade:
B-
San Diego Chargers' Ninth Drive
17 of 24
Drive Stats:
10 plays, 61 yards, 6:01 elapsed, touchdown
The Analysis:
After a long drive, the Chargers had the pleasure of watching Mike Tolbert carry the ball into the end zone for the game-sealing score.
More importantly, they ate up a lot of the clock on this long drive.
The Grade:
A+
Indianapolis Colts' 10th Drive
18 of 24
Drive Stats:
2 plays, 1 yard, 0:49 elapsed, fumble lost
The Analysis:
For once, it wasn't Peyton Manning turning over the ball!
This time the rookie, Javarris James, fumbled the ball away.
The Grade:
F
San Diego Chargers' 10th Drive
19 of 24
Drive Stats:
8 plays, 31 yards, 5:12 elapsed, field goal
The Analysis:
After Rivers threw a pass on the opening play, a completion to Jacob Hester of nine yards, the Chargers were content to simply run the ball over and over. And over.
Six runs later, Nate Kaeding strode onto the field and knocked a 20-yard field goal through the uprights, his fifth of the day.
The Grade:
B+
Indianapolis Colts' 11th Drive
20 of 24
Drive Stats:
3 plays, 6 yards, 1:09 elapsed, punt
The Analysis:
Three-and-out.
Enough said.
The Grade:
C-
San Diego Chargers' 11th Drive
21 of 24
Drive Stats:
3 plays, 9 yards, 0:55 elapsed, punt
The Analysis:
It didn't really matter at this point, but the Chargers went three-and-out right after the Colts did.
The Grade:
C
Indianapolis Colts' 12th Drive
22 of 24
Drive Stats:
7 plays, 32 yards, 2:05 elapsed, interception
The Analysis:
After seeing how well the strategy worked for Eric Weddle, Antoine Cason decided to try the same strategy. It worked again!
Peyton Manning threw his fourth interception of the day. I can't remember a worse day from the surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer.
The Grade:
F
San Diego Chargers' 12th Drive
23 of 24
Drive Stats:
2 plays, -2 yards, 0:47 elapsed, end of game
The Analysis:
Philip Rivers took a knee twice and the game was over. The Chargers had beaten the Colts.
The Grade:
Incomplete
Overall Grades
24 of 24
Indianapolis Colts:
The Colts turned the ball over five times and didn't exactly do a great job on defense either.
Final Grade: C
San Diego Chargers:
The Chargers dominated this game on offense and defense.
Final Grade: A
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