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- Mar 19, 2019
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The Chargers couldn’t close out the Colts in regulation, but they got the job done in overtime.
They got the ball first in the extra session and quickly moved into Colts territory with completions to Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry. A 19-yard run by Austin Ekeler got them into the red zone and Ekeler capped the drive off with a seven-yard touchdown run that gave the Chargers a 30-24 win.
It was Ekeler’s third touchdown of the game, which will do little to help Melvin Gordon‘s push for a new contract with the team. Ekeler ran for 58 yards and caught six passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns as the Chargers didn’t miss a beat in the backfield. Justin Jackson chipped in 57 more yards on the ground to help the Chargers’ cause.
Philip Rivers was 25-of-34 for 333 yards and three touchdowns, but a late interception in the end zone by Malik Hooker gave the Colts the chance to force overtime late in the fourth quarter. He was also sacked four times behind an offensive line that’s playing without left tackle Russell Okung.
The Colts got another takeaway when punt returner Desmond King muffed a punt, but they couldn’t turn that into points because Adam Vinatieri missed his second field goal of the day. Vinatieri also missed an extra point in what was as bad a day as he’s ever had in his long career.
That helped spoil a big game for running back Marlon Mack. He ran 25 times for 174 yards and T.Y. Hilton added two touchdown catches on a day that brought some good signs for the offense under quarterback Jacoby Brissett. The missed kicks and a handful of defensive breakdowns wound up being too much to overcome, however.