CHARGERS: Scouting report vs. Colts

By MIKE SULLIVAN - Staff Writer | Tuesday, November 18, 2008 7:08 PM PST ∞

Kickoff: 5:15 p.m. Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium

Series: Chargers lead 15-9. The Chargers beat the Colts twice last season. They won the regular-season matchup in San Diego, 23-21 on Nov. 11, and then stunned the Colts 28-24 in the AFC divisional playoff game in Indianapolis.

Player to watch: QB Peyton Manning

The superstar had a slow start this season after summer knee surgery but has played well of late. Manning is coming off a performance against Houston in which he passed for 320 yards and two touchdowns for the 45th 300-yard passing game of his career. Overall, he's thrown for 2,568 yards and 17 touchdowns this season while being intercepted nine times. Manning's last Qualcomm Stadium visit didn't go too well. He did pass for 328 yards last November but was intercepted a career-worst six times. He was victimized by Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie three times. Now in his 11th season, Manning has topped 4,000 yards eight times and is the only player in NFL history to top 3,000 passing yards in each of his first 10 season. Manning has thrown 323 career TD passes, which ranks fourth behind Brett Favre (460 and counting), Dan Marino (420) and Fran Tarkenton (342). He has 44,194 career passing yards, eighth most in NFL history. In five career games against the Chargers, Manning has topped 300 yards four times but he has been intercepted 11 times to go with eight TD passes.

Offense

The Colts were last in the league in rushing before they rumbled for a season-high 154 yards against Houston last Sunday. RB Joseph Addai had his most productive game of the season, rushing for 105 yards and ending a streak of 18 consecutive games without topping 100 yards. Addai has rushed for 387 yards and five touchdowns this season. No longer a superstar, WR Marvin Harrison is at least back to being a productive player after suffering through an injury-plagued 2007 campaign. Harrison (39 receptions, 434 yards) caught nine passes for 77 yards against Houston. He has 127 career touchdowns and passed the legendary Jim Brown last Sunday to move into ninth place on the all-time touchdowns list. Harrison has caught at least one pass in all 185 career games in which he's played. WR Reggie Wayne, a Pro Bowl selection the past two seasons, has 56 receptions for 790 yards and five touchdowns. Wayne caught 104 passes in 2007. TE Dallas Clark (39 receptions, 459 yards) has a good rapport with Manning. He has three touchdown receptions this season after catching a career-high 11 TD passes last season. C Jeff Saturday is one of the top players in the NFL at his position.

Defense

DE Dwight Freeney returns to the scene of his season-ending foot injury from last season, which coincidentally also occurred on a nationally televised Sunday night game at Qualcomm Stadium. Freeney (seven sacks in 2008) has been in top form the past two weeks, recording two sacks in each game to raise his career sack total to 67, second most in the NFL since 2002. Freeney has 16 multi-sack games in his seven-year career. DE Robert Mathis also is a fierce pass rusher. He has five sacks this season. SS Bob Sanders, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year last season, missed last Sunday's game against Houston and could be in jeopardy of missing this game too. Sanders, who is a ferocious hitter, has missed six games this season due to injuries. SS Melvin Bullitt has stepped up in Sanders' place and has four interceptions. MLB Gary Brackett has a team-leading 101 tackles. WLB Freddy Keiaho, a third-year player out of San Diego State, has 76 tackles. He had 101 tackles in 2007.

Noteworthy

The Colts have made the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons, the most of any team during that time span. â€- K Adam Vinatieri is 11-of-14 on field goals and connected on all four attempts against Houston. He has kicked 322 field goals in his career, including 21 game-winners. â€- P Hunter Smith has a 45.1 average and has placed 13 punts inside the opponents' 20. â€- Indianapolis has a 38-15 road record under coach Tony Dungy.

---- Mike Sullivan