The Chargers are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and their defense doing something for the second time in 30 years is a big reason why they were able to clinch that berth on Monday night.
The Colts faced 10 third downs in the game and they failed to convert a single one of them. In addition to being a brick wall on third downs, the Chargers also posted seven sacks — their most in a game since 2016 — and three interceptions during the 20-3 win.
When the game was over, wide receiver Keenan Allen said the Charger offense wasn’t where it needed to be but shrugged it off because of how well the defense played.
“0-10 on third down, that just kind of speaks for itself. That’s just amazing,” Allen said, via the team’s website. “It’s hard to score points when you can’t move on third down. We didn’t score as many points as we wanted to, but it didn’t matter because the defense played so well. If we can just keep complimenting each other like that, keep getting better week-in and week-out, we’ll be a tough team to deal with.”
The next two weeks will determine who the Chargers face in the first round of the playoffs and they’ll have a shot of beating anyone if their defense continues to play as well as it did on Monday night.