Chargers undone by Colts on last second field goal

Vinatieri's leg lifts Colts over Bolts

For the second week in a row the Chargers lost to their opponent by a field goal scored near the end of the game. Last week it was the Steelers and this week Peyton Manning lead the Colts into field goal range to break the Chargers hearts again as the game winded down. San Diego’s season may be broken now too. The loss dropped them to 4-7 and a golden opportunity to pull to within one game of first place Denver also went by the boards.

The Colts and Chargers played a tightly contested first half, slugging it out on defense and answering each others scores almost immediately. After trading field goals with the Colts, the Chargers struck with a touchdown to go up 10-3. Phillip Rivers connected for his 22 nd touchdown pass of the season, hooking up with wide receiver Vincent Jackson for 39 yards. But the Colts came right back on the ensuing drive with a score of their own. Peyton Manning drove his team 71 yards and found Anthony Gonzalez for a TD with 43 seconds remaining. The teams went into halftime tied at 10.

Timing can mean everything in the NFL, whether it’s a passing play, a tackle, or a turnover. Perhaps the best way to describe the way this season has unfolded for the Chargers is to say that they’re timing has been off. The timing of turnovers is never a good thing, but some instances are more hurtful than others. Such has been the case for the Chargers this year and Sunday’s game against Indianapolis was no different. In the second half, with the game still tied, San Diego moved the ball all the way up to the Colts nine yard line and appeared ready to retake the lead. But Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary picked a poor time to get called for a false start and on the next play Rivers, who was sacked, picked a poor time to fumble the football. The fumble completely changed the game as the Colts took advantage of the Chargers mistakes and drove for a score. Manning took it the other way and hit Dominic Rhodes for a short one yard touchdown pass to put Indianapolis up 17-10.

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Early in the fourth quarter the Colts added a field goal to increase their lead by 10 points, but the Chargers would battle back as they have done all season long. If there is one good thing that could be said about the Chargers in 2008 it’s that they seem to never give up, despite how many times they have fallen behind in the score and how many games they have come up short in. Rivers rallied his team and drove them 70 yards until he completed a one yard touchdown pass to Jacob Hester to trim the Colts lead to three. Indianapolis got the ball back with a little over five and a half minutes left in regulation but couldn’t kill the clock. Instead they went three and out and gave the Chargers a chance to go for the win. Unfortunately for San Diego they only managed a field goal to tie the game at 20 with a minute and half to go.

The Chargers defense, which has been one of the key reasons why they have failed as a team this season was left with the task of trying to keep Manning and the Colts from winning the game in regulation. San Diego’s defense has shown improvement over the past few weeks since Ron Rivera took over the defensive play calling duties, but they couldn’t stop the Colts from getting in position to attempt a 51 yard field goal. It was then up to one of the greatest place kickers of all time in Adam Vinatieri to try to put the game away. One year ago in the same stadium with these same two team battling it out, Vinatieri missed a field goal that would’ve given his team the win and allowed San Diego to walk away with the victory. This time, he didn’t miss. The kick was good as the last second expired, and the Chargers left the field, losers again.

The Chargers have now been defeated in five out of their seven losses by five points or less including two one point games. It all started on opening day when Jake Delhomme converted on a fourth down by throwing a touchdown in the closing seconds of the game to give the Panthers a win, 26-24. The defensive meltdowns, the miscues, and the heartbreak all began on a warm September afternoon in North Carolina. For the Chargers and their fans it hasn’t stopped since. It’s difficult to say what’s left for San Diego now. Mathematically they’re still alive, but it’s hard to believe they could catch the Broncos and make the postseason, especially with the way they’ve played this year. Next week they’ll host Atlanta and the rookie quarterback sensation, Matt Ryan.

By Steven Mondelli
ProFootball-fans.com San Diego Chargers Correspondent