orioles

San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts

A brutal Sunday so far, but that's football.

I like the bolts here: usually, with Peyton Manning giving just 2 points at home, I'd leap on it, but I get the feeling that even 18 is beginning to sag under the weight of injuries. Collie is out again, Addai looks as though he'll follow and Reggie Wayne is limping around. Bizarrely, Garcon is looking increasingly out of sync, and while Tamme and Blair White are stepping up, there's a sense that offensive luck is beginning to run out. The San Diego pass rush has been brutal and their D is all-round solid, so this may be an improvisation too far for the Colts.

The Chargers have injury problems too, but crucially Vincent Jackson has returned after contract/drugs hiatus and the word is that he has been tearing up trees in practise. He'll see the ball a lot. San Diego also has Tolbert in the backfield and I like how he's taken advantage of Ryan Mathews going down. With the Indy D line still nicked up, and giving up yardage to RBs, I'll look for him to get a lot of touches today too, if only to follow the traditional wisdom of keeping Manning off the field. The bolts' O line protects Rivers well and, even under pressure, he gets the ball out quickly and is running into his usual mid-late season, devastating form.

All in all, I think it spells trouble for Indianapolis, even at home, and I'll take the points and see if I can't salvage something from a very frustrating evening.

Pick: San Diego +2 (3pts)

Pick: 1st TD Mike Tolbert 13/2 (1pt)
Pick: Anytime TD Vincent Jackson 6/5 (1pt)