NFL Playoffs, Game Two: Colts Visit the Chargers and Come Up Short, 23-17

I have San Diego tonight to beat the Colts. I won earlier with Arizona, so let's see if I can stay hot.

San Diego starts with a first-down run by L.T. then a pass to Gates for eight yards. Rivers is sacked and the drive stalls out.

The Colts take over and a couple of runs by Addai and some completions by Peyton Manning and their first drive stalls out also and they punt back to San Diego.

L.T. looked ok on the first drive, he has stated he took a shot for the pain, but will come out if the injury gets to be too much. Gates is worried about his Achilles' tendon on the same leg as his high ankle sprain.

San Diego takes back over  their own 20 and runs the ball a couple of times for no gain. Gates catches a seven-yard pass, with no extra yards and San Diego goes three and out, and punts again.

The Colts take over on the 19 after a 58-yard punt. No score yet, with these offensive minded quarterbacks.

1st-and-15 on a false start for the Colts. Manning completes a pass and it's 2nd-and-11. Manning completes another short one and it is third and five. A quick screen pass to Reggie Wayne for a first down.

Addai runs for a couple and it's 2nd-and-8. Clarke goes outside, catches a pass from Manning, then runs inside for a first down.

Manning hits Gonzales for a big gain down to the Chargers 20 yard line.

Gonzales catches another pass for 18 yards. 1st-and-goal at the two. Addai takes it down to the one. 2nd-and-goal. Addai scores on an inside hand off. 7-0 , Colts.

That was a nice 81-yard drive, taking up five minutes. Manning looks good. He should look good. He is the MVP of the league this season.

The San Diego defense is going to have it's hands full all night. San Diego does not look as explosive so far in this game, like they were against Denver.

The Chargers take over on their 20 yard line. 1st-and=10. Can Rivers match Peyton, touchdown for touchdown tonight? We shall see. Rivers throws to Gates for a short completion, 2nd-and-4 to go.

Rivers misses a wide open receiver and the Chargers get a penalty for ineligible man down field. 2nd-and-9 to go. Rivers is hit as he throws and it's 3rd-and-9.

It s a throwing situation, but Rivers hands to Sproles out of the shotgun, for 13 yards and a first down. L .T. gets four yards to make it 2nd-and-6. Sproles gets a couple more and it's 3rd-and-4.

Rivers throws into very good coverage and it's incomplete. The Chargers must punt again.

The Colts take over at their  own five two-yard line as the first quarter ends. Indy 7, San Diego 0. San Diego is struggling so far to get something going.

Addai runs for one yard. 2nd-and-9. A short pass by Manning and it's 3rd-and-6. Manning completes another short one and its fourth and one deep in the Colts territory.

The Colts take too much time and it's a five yard penalty. They punt from deep in their own end zone. Sproles runs it into Colts territory ar the 44-yard line. San Diego takes over.

Rivers throws another pass to Gates, his fourth catch. 2nd and-1. L.T. picks up the first down with three yards. Gates catches another all the way down to the three yard line/ 1st-and-goal. Here comes L.T. Yes, they hand it to Tomlinson, Touchdown San Diego 7, Indianapolis 7.

I bet who ever has the ball last wins this game. It's shaping up that way, quickly.

The Colts take over the ball on their own  34 yard line on a short, low kick. The Chargers kicker fell down on the kickoff.

Good field position for Peyton. I wonder if anyone will throw an interception tonight? That could be the difference in a close game so far. Manning throws to Gonzales for a 20-yard gain.

Addai runs for a yard, then Manning throws to Addai for eight more yards. An end around to Dallas Clarke and it's another first down.

Manning throws one incomplete and it's 2nd-and-10 from the 30. Gonzales drops one and its 3rd-and-10. One more completion but it's short of a first down and the field-goal unit appears. It's good. 10-7 Colts.

San Diego takes over on the 29 yard line. Sproles gains one and it's 2nd-and-9 to go for a first down. Rivers is sacked and it goes to third down and long.

San Diego does not convert and it 's a punt by the Chargers for 67 yards, pinning the Colts down on their own seven yard line. It is still anyone's game, but the Colts look more in control than the Chargers do.

The Colts start with a run for three yards. Incomplete by Manning with pressure coming. Third down. Tony Dungy challenges the incomplete pass ruling. The ruling on the field stands.

San Diego covers and they will get the ball back in pretty good field position. They take over on the Colt 45 yard line.

Sproles runs for the first down  and an 11-yard gain. Chris Chambers catch a pass for 12 more yards. Another first down for the Chargers as we get down to the two-minute warning.

Sproles runs for a yard to make it 2nd-and-9 from the 19. Incomplete pass to Gates. 3rd-and-9. Rivers throws to Chambers, first down and goal to go. Sproles runs the next play in for a touchdown. San Diego 14, Indianapolis 10.

The Colts fumble the kickoff and it looks like San Diego has it. They will review this play from the booth, but the ball does look like it came out, before the runners knee  was down. I say fumble.

Oooh, no fumble. His knee was down. The Colts dodge a bullet. Manning throws, but it's almost intercepted. 2nd-and-10. Addai runs it for three yards. Time out San Diego.

It is 3rd-and-7 with 21 seconds left. Addai picks up a first down. Incomplete by Manning. This San Diego defense has done a great job in the first half against Peyton Manning. The first half ends 14-10 San Diego.

Good game, just like Atlanta and Arizona.

So far, its playing true who ever has the ball last may very well win this game.

2nd half begins with a drive by the Colts. They go for it on fourth down and San Diego stops the drive and takes over on downs. This defense has really stepped up, once more.

San Diego takes over on their own 32 yard line. Two short gains and it's 3rd-and-8. First down as Rivers throws into coverage, tightly.

Rivers is run out of the pocket and throws incomplete. 2nd-and-10 to go. Sproles runs for eight yards. 3rd-and-2. Incomplete and it will be fourth down.

The pressure defense holds for the Colts ,s well. Another good punt ,nd the Colts start deep once more.

The Colts start at the nine and Marvin Harrison makes an eight yard reception. Addai runs it out to the 23 yard line. First down.Manning goes deep for Reggie Wayne, incomplete. 2nd and 10 to go. Offsides, defense. 2nd-and-5 to go.

Manning throws incomplete. 3rd-and-5. Manning calls for a quick snap  and Reggie Wayne  catches a pass for a 63-yard touchdown. San Diego was trying to substitute and Peyton Manning caught them off guard. 17 -14 Colts.

Rivers throws a pass for six yards. 2nd-and-4. Sproles runs for a loss. Tomlinson has not played the second half at all. Rivers hit Chambers for 25 yards and a first down.

Sproles runs for one yard and it's 2nd-and-9. Sproles picks up the first down and makes it to the 31 yard line. Rivers throws it away on first down. 2nd-and-10. Michael Bennett races for 15 yards and a first down.

Bennett is now in for L.T. Rivers dumps another pass off, incomplete. 2nd-and-10.  Rivers hits another pass for a 1st-and-goal at the nine.

Spoles runs for no gain, and it's 2nd and goal. Look for a play action fake and a pass to someone. A quick pass to Sproles and he's down at the one. No, it's ruled a fumble as Sproles lost the ball going down and it's recovered by the Colts.

This play will be challenged by the Chargers, as i thought Sproles was down by contact. No challenge! It is a fumble. Sproles is stripped by Jim Jennings.

Manning takes over on the 20. Manning throws to Gonzales, incomplete and it's three and out for the Colts. They punt and San Diego takes over on thier own 45 yard line, on a nice return by Sproles, trying to make up for his fumble.

Sproles runs for nine yards. 2nd-and-1. Sproles runs for a first down. The third quarter ends: Colts 17, Chargers 14.

One more quarter and someone's season is over, while the other one advances. Both playoff games were outstanding today.

Rivers is sacked at the 50 yard line. 2nd-and-18 to go. Bennett runs for six and it's 3rd-and-12. Rivers runs as well as he can and gets 12 yards. 4th-and-1 and they go for it.

San Diego gets a first down by an inch! Wow!

Rivers goes deep in the end zone and it's intercepted by the Colts.

That drive ended badly by San Diego. They really need a stop, now. A touchdown by the Colts and things are going to be tough for the Chargers.

Penalty for tripping on the Colts. 10 yard penalty. 1st-and-20 from the 11 yard line. A four yard gain and it's 2nd-and-16. Manning throws to Reggie Wayne for a first down.

Addai gains four and it's 2nd-and-6. Manning throws for Clarke for another first down.

Addai gains another five on the ground and it's 2nd-and-five. Clarke catches a short pass and it's a very big 3rd-and-2 play. Rhodes runs for the first down.

San Diego needs a stop desperately. Manning throws and it's almost intercepted. 2nd-and-10. Manning throws it away, but it's holding on the Colts. 2nd-and-20. A run from Addai that goes nowhere. 3rd-and-21 to go.

San Diego gets that needed stop after the Colts have the ball for five long minutes.

Sproles is back ,but the punt goes out of bounds. San Diego takes over with 5:45 left in this game. Will the last possession win this game? The Chargers need a drive and a touchdown to move on in the playoffs, possibly.

Rivers passes a dump off to Sproles and he gets a first down with a 12-yard gain.

Rivers is almost intercepted on a terrible pass downfield. 3rd-and-8. Bennett catches a short pass, very close to a first down. He gets it, first down.

Bennett gains one yard. 2nd-and-9. Rivers goes for it all, and it's incomplete. 3rd-and-9. San Diego takes their first time out of the second half. These next couple of plays are the whole season for the San Diego Chargers.

Rivers is sacked and they have to punt. The punter does what he has done all night and pins the Colts down on their own two yard line.

2:45 left , the two minute warning, and two time outs left for San Diego. They cannot let Manning get a first down or this one's over.

Can the Chargers get a safety? Addai makes a nice run out to the six. 2nd-and-4, and the Chargers have to burn a time out. Addai is stopped afer a short gain, and the biggest 3rd and two of the Chargers season comes up.

No more time outs for San Diego. 2:30 left. Manning is sacked at the one. Wow!

The two-minute warning sounds and the Chargers have one last chance to at least get a field goal and jeep their season alive. The Colts must punt from deep in their own end zone.

All San Diego has to do is get the ball around the 40-45 yard line, and gain  maybe 15 yards. Sproles gets it all the way back to the Colts 38 yard line.

Rivers throws away the ball. 2nd down.1st down to Gates. Another first down to Gates at the 21 yard line. Rivers spikes it. 2nd and 10 from the 16 yard line.

Sproles takes it to the six yard line. 4th-and-1, and the Colts call time out.

The Chargers are going to kick the field goal and tie the game. Tie game. 17 all.

The Colts have 31 seconds and two time outs left. What a game we have here!

Twenty-four seconds left and the Colts are deep again. They start on the 16 yard line.

A short completion to Addai. 16 seconds left. 2nd-and-4.

We are coming up to a pretty important coin flip now.

Another short pass to Addai and there are eight seconds left.

Manning takes a deep shot and there is one second left. Manning takes a knee and we go to overtime and the coin flip.

The Colts call heads and it hit tails. The Chargers have the ball first. You think Sproles would like a 50-yard kickoff return about now?

Sproles returns the kickoff 25 yards. First down. Sproles runs for no gain, in fact , aloss of one. Rivers has to throw it away and its third and 11 to go. Sproles catch a pass and gets the first down.

That was un real. Bennett gets a run for five yards. 2nd-and-five. Sproles is tackled for a loss. Penalty on the defense, holding and an automatic first down.

San Diego has it to the 48 yard line. Sproles gets two more yards.  Gates fights for a first down after the pass.  Rivers is almost sacked and barely gets it away. 2nd and 10.

Sproles takes it down to the forty. 3rd-and-8 to go.  Defensive holding and a first down. Sproles runs with it and the Colts get hit with a face mask penalty. 1st down at the 20 yard line.

Sproles runs for a two yard loss. 2nd-and-12.  Sproles races in for a touchdown and the Chargers win the game. Sproles gained 328 total yards in this playoff game, Oh my!

Chargers 23 Colts 17. Two wins for me in my playoff picks!

Thomas "NFL Mikee" Moreland