The Indianapolis Colts never trailed and delivered a statement win to improve to 6-1 Sunday, overpowering the Los Angeles Chargers 38–24 at SoFi Stadium.
The NFL’s most electric offense steamrolled through
another AFC opponent behind a balanced offensive showcase featuring three rushing touchdowns from running back Jonathan Taylor for the third time this season to add to his league-leading 10 rushing scores in 2025. Indianapolis used two timely defensive takeaways to stun the Chargers to a 20-point deficit three different times.
The Colts entered Week 7 averaging an NFL-best 6.8 yards per play on first down, and controlled the tempo from the opening drive. Colts head coach Shane Steichen’s game plan to throw to score and run to win was put on full display as the blend of motion, misdirection and play-action kept the Chargers (4-3) off balance. Quarterback Daniel Jones commanded the attack with precision by completing 23 of 34 passes for 288 passing yards and two touchdowns. Jones continues to thrive running play action and making easy reads in Steichen’s run-pass-option scheme. It certainly helps to have one of the elite running backs alongside to force opponents to bite at the fake.
It took just five plays for Indianapolis to open the scoring early in the first quarter as Taylor ripped through the Chargers’ front and put on the jets to score a 23-yard touchdown run that capped a 75-yard opening drive in under three minutes. Taylor finished with 94 rushing yards on 16 carries and added another 38 receiving yards.
Jones engineered a marathon 17-play, 70-yard drive midway through the first half, converting a pair of fourth downs before finding Michael Pittman Jr. for a 4-yard touchdown pass. Pittman finished with seven catches for 58 yards and one score. On the next series, Jones hit rookie tight end Tyler Warren on a slant for a 5-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 20–3. Warren continued to prove he is a reliable option in the middle of the field and caught four passes for 69 yards and reached the end zone in his fourth straight game.
Indianapolis delivered perhaps the most pivotal sequence to seize control late in the second quarter when defensive tackle Grover Stewart batted a pass from Chargers QB Justin Herbert into the air and hauled in the interception to terminate the threat inside Colts territory. Colts safety Nick Cross picked off Justin Herbert in the end zone to end another Chargers threat on the first play following the two minute warning. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner collected two clutch sacks in key moments during the second half, while second-year edge rusher Laiatu Latu added his third sack of the year.
Even when the Chargers found their rhythm in the second half, Ameer Abdullah’s 81-yard kickoff return set up the offense with tremendous field position inside the red zone. The Colts just needed seven offensive plays to add two more scores in the second half. Taylor rushed in twice with an 8-yard score, followed by another 19-yard touchdown run to finish a long drive and put the game on ice. The Chargers rallied with three consecutive touchdown drives to keep it relatively close, but the Colts matched with three scoring drives of their own that needed just five plays or less to reach the end zone.
The Colts return home to host the reeling Tennessee Titans (1-6) next Sunday inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
