5 Things Learned: Colts Offense Flawless In Win Over Chargers

1. Coach of the Year Shane Steichen

Coach of the Year Shane Steichen: Yeah, this one meant a little more to Shane Steichen. How could it not after spending 9 years with one organization. But Steichen also knows how the Colts schedule had been through 6 weeks. Quality opponents, with a proven head coach/quarterback hadn’t showed up too often through the first month and a half. But it was here in Week 7, a measuring stick of sorts, as the Colts have beaten up quite often on more of the NFL’s bottom feeders. Seemingly weekly, Steichen is running an Xs and Os clinic as an offensive play caller. And Sunday was quite the example of that Those red-zone struggles from earlier this season are long gone as the Colts scored touchdowns on an astonishing 12 straight TD drives (and chose to end the streak by settling for a field goal to end the first half). The Colts offense has been so damn good this season that it keeps from things snowballing, when you are having some defensive struggles like were there on Sunday. Watch Quenton Nelson celebrate this win at the final gun on Sunday. You don’t see such a reaction from a 14-point October in very often. The Colts had this one circled a bit after losing in the same stadium to the Rams last month. Credit Steichen for embracing that, and seeing his team delivering. Through 7 weeks of the season, only one NFL team has a single loss. It’s Steichen’s Colts. He’s calling plays for the top offense in the NFL. And also realized this offseason a change was needed with good friend Gus Bradley. Yes, the defense hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been better, and that’s allowed this 6-1 start to matriculate. No Coach of the Year ballot should have anyone else but Steichen stop it.

2. Interceptions Were Massive

Interceptions Were Massive: Given the Colts inability to keep the Chargers offense out of scoring opportunities, you can’t say enough about the third-down interceptions in the first half from Grover Stewart (!!!) and Nick Cross. Playing in his 131^st career game, beloved big man Grover Stewart recorded his first career interception and it was so so deserved. Remember, a few weeks back, it was the big paws of Stewart knocking one up in the air for Laiatu Latu to haul in. This time, on a 3^rd-and-3, it was first strong coverage by the Colts forcing Justin Herbert to pump fake several times. When Herbert finally tossed one, it was Stewart getting his hands on another deflection. And then the big man was able to be in the right spot at the right time to catch the interception. Not many 300-plus defensive tackles are logging third-down snaps to begin with. But that’s how Stewart has evolved his game over the years. How do Colts players view Stewart? Look at the celebration following the interception, as almost the entire visiting bench cleared to join him. The other Colts interception with the Chargers in scoring range came late in the first half. Facing a 3^rd-and-6 inside the 10, Lou Anarumo dropped 8 into coverage. Herbert got one of his better wideouts Quentin Johnston isolated on Colts safety Nick Cross. In a first half where the Chargers had 4 drives (FG and punt on the other two), these two interceptions likely would have ended in Cameron Dicker field goals had these third-down plays not been made. But what timely playmaking from the front and back of the Colts defense. When the Chargers offense scores touchdowns on 3 straight drives to start the second half, it’s plays like these from Stewart and Cross that were absolutely massive in the Colts building a lead that never got back down to one score.  

3. Who Is MVP?

Who Is MVP? One could make a very compelling case the Colts have two of the top MVP candidates in the entire NFL. Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor have been that good this season, and showed it again on Sunday. Let’s start with Jones, who finished Sunday 23-of-34 for 288 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. One of the best qualities of Jones playing quarterback is one of the least flashy things: he finds checkdowns so well. There’s a fine balance in setting for “dump offs” too much, but Jones has walked that line beautifully in 2025. After a few quieter weeks with the home run ball, Jones hit on one in the first half, turning a Chargers bust on 3^rd-and-17 into a 48-yard in-stride ball to Alec Piece. Taylor got going early on Sunday and found the end zone on 3 different occasions. Taylor had 16 carries for 94 yards on Sunday. There’s no bad answer debating this.

4. Time To Go Get A Pass Rusher

Time To Go Get A Pass Rusher: Understandably, the Colts thought this was a game their pass rush would feast. How could they not with the Chargers down to their 4^th and 5^th offensive tackles facing a Colts defensive line with rich investments throughout. Currently, it seems the Colts only individual hope with their pass rush is DeForest Buckner to wreck a double team, while others can’t win their 1-on-1 matchups. On the pass rush note, the Colts did suffer injuries on Sunday to rotational rushers Tyquan Lewis (groin) and Samson Ebukam (knee) so they might be needing some new rushers off the edge, to couple their not enough disruption from that group in 2025. So this is a need not only in performance right now, but potentially in available bodies, too. It’s the pass rush that needs to be doing the heavy lifting for a cornerback group reeling from injuries. Speaking of cornerback, some big Colts news came on Saturday when they placed top outside cornerback Charvarius Ward on injured reserve. That means he will miss at least 4 games: Chargers, Titans, Steelers, Falcons. That means no Ward, who the Colts feel can shadow opposing No. 1 wideouts, when they face DK Metcalf and Drake London in November. Does this news create any trade deadline (November 4th) urgency at cornerback for the Colts? I’d argue the pass rush needs it more.

5. AFC South Lead Expandin

AFC South Lead Expanding: Is this the best win of the Colts season? Yes, when you factor in the quarterback you beat, the head coach you beat and doing it on the road. The Colts are now 6-1, sit atop the AFC and have easily been one of the NFL’s best stories through the first half of the season. The record speaks for itself, but the Colts are now also a perfect 5-0 in the AFC. But they might not even have to worry about that conference record for tiebreaker purposes when it comes to their record. With the lowly Titans waiting next Sunday in Indy, the Colts should be 7-1 at the “midway” point of the season. And with the Jaguars getting blasted in London on Sunday, the Colts now have a 2-game lead in the AFC South. No one could have envisioned this. Chris Ballard changed some of his ways this offseason and several of those decisions are hitting. And, again, what a job by Shane Steichen as he is more than deserved of being atop the Coach of the Year list.

6. QUICK HITTERS  

-Injury Report: The following Colts were inactive on Sunday: RB-Tyler Goodson (groin), WR-Ashton Dulin (chest), WR-Josh Downs (concussion), S-Reuben Lowery III, DT-Eric Johnson II, TE-Will Mallory, OT-Luke Tenuta. The following players got injured and did not return: DL-Tyquan Lewis (groin), DE-Samson Ebukam (knee).

–Key Stat: The Colts are now 12-of-12 in the red zone over their last 3 games. The franchise record is 15 straight (set back in 1958).

–What’s Next: The Colts (6-1) will return home in Week 8 to take on the Titans (1-6) for the second time this season, this time with interim head coach Mike McCoy taking over for Brian Callahan.