The matchup

Loren S Casuto, Bolttalk: The Chargers walk into this game with the season on the line. A team that most people predicted would go to, if not win, the Super Bowl is now two games behind denver and in the middle of a 3 game home stretch. The Chargers must get hot and starting playing like the Bolts we fans expected or this promising team will go down as one of the biggest flops in NFL history. The Colts are, ironically an ideal team to do that against.

Cris Collinsworth, NBC Sports: If there's one team that has Manning's number it's San Diego. They're sort of his achilles heel. Since Ron Rivera took over as defensive coordinator, San Diego is a markedly better football team. This is the one team, no matter what you say, always beats the Colts. But you wonder without Shawne Merriman and the defense not being the same if this is the year that changes.

Jerome Bettis, NBC Sports: It's an old cliché that it's a must win game but this really is a must win game for the Chargers or their playoff chances are over.

Chargers offense

Loren S Casuto, Bolttalk: The unit that was carrying the team early in the year has, uncharacteristically, been struggling. Rivers has been put in a situation where he has to throw a perfect game every time just to give his team a chance of winning. That has led him to make more costly mistakes, especially late in the game, as he tries to do too much. With all the weapons around, the Chargers can be every bit as explosive as the Colts. LT is healthy but there's been no major improvement in the run game with an offensive line that seems to have forgotten how to run block, a gameplan that forces him up the middle nearly every run, and no FB Lorenzo Neal. The issue isn't a lack of talent but instead can the Chargers play up to it. The Colts are a team the Chargers are designed to beat, and have done before. With mismatches in numerous areas in the Chargers favor, the Bolts have to take advantage.

Chargers defense

Loren S Casuto, Bolttalk: Can one player really mean THAT much? Well sort of. Merriman's absence is a cause of the once dominating Chargers defense turning into a paper tiger. Another was Ted Cottrell, whose dull schemes and lack of blitzing allowed teams to pick the Chargers apart, especially at the end of the game. There has been some improvement with the firing of Cottrell and Ron Rivera's appointment, but it might not be coming fast enough to save the season. Against the Colts the Chargers are stronger and bigger at nearly every position, and the Chargers hvae used that to their advantage in the past. But this year with a demoralized unit and an inability to cover either tight ends or quick slants well, this could be problematic.

Tiki Barber, NBC Sports: I wish I could put my finger on what's wrong with them. One of the big reasons is that their defense is not the same without Shawne Merriman reeking havoc. And L.T. is not the same player he was.

Colts

Collinsworth: I said a couple of weeks ago that the Colts could get on a roll and go on a long winning streak and I still believe they have a big run in them.

Prediction

Loren S Casuto, Bolttalk: Get the firing gun ready, its Qualcomm Relays time. Look for an incredibly high scoring game with lots of offense and defenses that couldn't stop their opposition if they had shotguns. Chargers 42 Colts 35