Six different players logged a sack by night's end, including corner duo Asante Samuel Jr. and Michael Davis. The defense was opportunistic even after losing star safety Derwin James to an ejection.
The offensive line was again iffy, surrendering seven sacks and nine QB hits. L.A.'s defense played fast and aggressive both up front and on the back end.
Derwin James, Jr.'s return to the Chargers defence in Week 16 was greatly appreciated as the safety recorded a leaping interception in the opening frame. However, James' night was finished when he was ejected and assessed a personal foul for a hit on wide receiver Ashton Dulin with little over five minutes remaining in the second quarter.
At the perfect time, Keenan Allen is starting to heat up. In each of his last four games, he had at least six catches for 86 yards, including a performance on Monday night in which he caught 11 passes for 104 yards. Allen reached the century mark for the first time this season.
Austin Ekeler encapsulated it nicely. The Bolts outgained the Colts by a total of 314 yards. But there were a few errors along the road that lost the offence additional yards and points.
It helped L.A. extend their lead to 10-3 before halftime against the Raiders. And it also confirmed that he has one of the best cannons in the game.
On New Year's Day, the Chargers (9-6) will play host to the Rams (5-10), who humiliated the Broncos on Christmas Day and forced Denver to dismiss coach Nathaniel Hackett. The Giants (8-6-1), who lost to the Vikings on Saturday but are still vying for one of the NFC's final wild card positions, will travel to face the Colts (4-10-1), in a cross-conference game.