Behind Enemy Lines: Talking Wild Card With a Chargers Blogger

As we get ready for the Wildcard Weekend matchup of the Chargers and Colts, Loren Casuto from Bolt Talk was nice enough to offer some insights on the Chargers for this week's Behind Enemy Lines feature.

Sportz Assassin: How do both of you feel about how the Chargers are playing heading into the playoffs?

Loren Casuto: It's a minor miracle, no team has ever come back from 4-8 to make the playoffs. The Chargers showed an incredible amount of heart and grit to play as hard and well as they did when everyone, even some Charger fans, wrote them off for dead. I'm thrilled because this is what we were expecting at the start of the season and now the real work for the Chargers can begin.

Sportz: San Diego and Indianapolis have had some great battles in recent years. What, if anything, from those games will help decide this playoff game?

Loren: This will come down to one team ending another team's drive and forcing them to punt. These teams know each other, they will score on each other quite a bit. Last few games we've played its come down to can you stop the other team late in the game as they are driving or, conversely, can you drive into scoring range. Should be no different this time.

Sportz: NFL MVP Peyton Manning is on fire right now. What will the Bolts do to try to deal with him?

Loren: Pressure, Pressure, Pressure. Your not going to knock Manning off his game or even really rattle him like you would a rookie. You just have to get enough pressure on him to force him into hurried reads. Might not even lead to an incomplete each time it happens but if he thinks he has a few seconds less then he does, sooner or later, he'll make a mistake. Peyton doesn't make many so you have to jump on them when he does.

Sportz: What Charger really needs to break out and have a big game?

Loren: I'll give you two; Shaun Phillips and Antonio Cromartie. Phillips is a very good complimentary pass rusher to Shawne Merriman, but it has become painfully clear he can't do it on his own. He has to get into Manning's face, he has to apply pressure and sack him, and that'll require a great effort against a very good offensive line. Cromartie became a star against the Colts but this year has basically fallen off the cliff. Regardless of which of the three WRs he guards, he won't have an easy time. If there are to be no interceptions he needs to absolutely blanket whomever he's covering.

Sportz: What advantage do the Chargers have over the Colts?

Loren: Size. The Chargers are bigger and stronger then the Colts at every single position. The Colts offense and defense are designed to be light and fast, and the Chargers have often taken advantage of that, especially on the lines and at wide receiver. They have to dominate at the individual match ups and at the point of attack nearly every time and keep the Colts from swarming.

History. The Chargers have beaten the Colts more times then the other way around, and often in big match ups. The Chargers beat them last year in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Chargers did it again during the regular season in 2007 and ended the Colts unbeaten streak in 2005. For some reason the Chargers just have had great success and have been able to regularly beat the Colts. And that breeds confidence.

Sportz: What advantage do the Colts have over the Chargers?

Loren: Momentum. One team's hotter then the Chargers and its the Colts, who won nine straight. Pride. The opposite of my history advantage for the Chargers and the fact that they are an away team even though they have won more games then the Chargers has got to breed some anger.

Sportz: Alright, who wins the game?

Loren: Chargers, 34-31. And it won't be easy.

Sportz: I'm on record picking the Colts. I see it more as a 27-21 type of game.

Well, thanks again to Loren Casuto from Bolt Talk for coming into the 'House and getting us prepped for the Chargers-Colts Wildcard battle. Maybe we will hear from him next week if the Bolts do beat the Colts and they move on to the Divisional Round against either the Steelers or Titans.