The Colts needed a late touchdown drive to force overtime against the Chargers, but they wound up on the wrong side of a 30-24 final when Austin Ekeler capped the first drive of the extra period with his third touchdown of the game.
Indianapolis may have been able to avoid both overtime and the loss had they gotten a better day out of kicker Adam Vinatieri. The NFL’s all-time leading scorer missed two field goals and an extra point that loomed large when all was said and done in Los Angeles.
“I was lousy,” Vinatieri said, via ESPN.com. “Obviously, I did not kick well today and let my team down. They played well. Proud of the guys who fought their butts off and came back...I feel like that loss is 100 percent on me. You play a team like the Chargers, who obviously are a good team. Can’t come in here and miss three kicks and expect to win. That’s too many points to give away.”
Head coach Frank Reich said he’s not worried about Vinatieri, who missed time this summer with a knee injury but said his health wasn’t a problem on Sunday. He also said “he’ll figure out what I did wrong and try to fix that” and the sooner that happens the better for the Colts.