Sproles leads Bolts over Colts

Sproles dominated the Colts in every which way, leading the Chargers to a thrilling overtime victory

San Diego Chargers running back Ladanian Tomlinson tried to make an impact after suffering a serious groin injury. The pain was so unbearable that, after lasting 5 carries, 25 yards and a touchdown in a little over a quarter, he was designated to cheerleader on the sidelines. His backup Darren Sproles, all 5′6″ of him, picked up the slack and took control as San Diego, after previous unsuccessful tries, finally got past Indianapolis. Sproles dominated the Colts run defense, pass defense, and their special teams en route to 328 total yards, including the game-winning 22-yard scamper in overtime. 105 of his yards came on the ground, 45 through the air, 106 on four kickoff returns and 72 off of three punt returns. The Chargers had a tough time mustering anything positive outside of Sproles performance, but their defense kept Colts quarterback and league-MVP Peyton Manning at bay.

San Diego tied the game on a field goal by Nate Kaeding with 31 seconds left, and received the ball to start the overtime period. They wouldn’t give Manning a chance, taking over six minutes to drive for the winning touchdown. Prior to Sproles touchdown run, Indianapolis had stopped him repeatedly on the drive; aside from a 13-yard reception, he had five carries for one yard.

Watching Sproles torch the Colts reminded me of Oregon State running back Quizz Rodgers performance against the USC Trojans. Rodgers was tough to tackle, not only because he was quick, but because he was hard to find behind the offensive line. This was how Sproles went about his business. He came flying out of nowhere, repeatedly slipping through the grasp of Indianapolis’s players, whether they be defensive or on special teams. He gave his team tremendous field position to start possessions but, even with his running attack, San Diego failed to cash in multiple times. Sproles’s touchdown that sent the Chargers into the second round made up for his blunder near the goal-line earlier in the game. Threatening to score down 17-14 midway through the third quarter, Sproles caught pass from quarterback Phillip Rivers. With his strength, it looked as if he would score, but in desperation to reach the goal-line, Sproles coughed up the ball, knocked out by Tim Jennings and recovered in the end-zone by Colts linebacker Raheem Brock. It was a tough blow, as San Diego would’ve grabbed the lead, but instead gave Manning a chance to make them pay.

Manning didn’t capitalize, as Indianapolis’s drive lasted only three plays and four yards. Manning was sacked just once in the game, but it was on the final offensive play of their season. He threw for 310 yards and committed no turnovers, yet the only points his Colts were able to score in the second half was a 72-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne, which was made possible by a Chargers defensive gaffe.

San Diego’s defense didn’t make any other mistakes, and was helped out by the punting of Mike Scifres. Each of his six punts pinned the Colts inside their own twenty-yard line. Because of this, Indianapolis was forced to pass a majority of the time to attempt to move the ball effectively. It didn’t work, as Manning was hurried into quick throws, and therefore empty possessions. This gave the ball back to the Chargers, who proceeded to hand it off to Sproles. He did the rest.