The NFL is a league driven by wins and losses, and the Indianapolis Colts stand among the very cream of the crop in the win column through six weeks. The Los Angeles Chargers are another team with a winning record, standing at a respectable 4-2, but those numbers don't tell the whole story.
The Chargers are a team decimated by injury. Before the season, this was a team with arguably the best pair of bookend tackles in the league, with Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Fast forward to Week 7, and Slater is out for the year with a torn patellar tendon, and Alt has been out for the past few weeks with an ankle injury
Los Angeles fielded an offensive line in Week 6 that featured Austin Deculus and Bobby Hart as their tackles protecting franchise quarterback Justin Herbert.
Bolts predictions for the Indianapolis Colts versus the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7
The center position is not much better, with Bradley Bozeman having a disappointing season. This is an offensive line that is in shambles, and the Colts (and hopefully one Colt in particular) should be able to wreak havoc in the backfield.
Prediction No. 1: Laiatu Latu will have a career-best performance
To be clear, the expectation is for the entire defensive line to eat well on Sunday. But, this is a bold prediction column, so let's get crazy. Laiatu Latu will not only notch two sacks against LA, but he will nab his third interception of the season, resulting in a signature performance from the young pass rusher.
The single-season NFL record for interceptions by a defensive lineman is five, a mark put up by Dick Szymanski in 1959 in only 12 games. Ironically, the team he played for while achieving that record? The Baltimore Colts.
It would be poetic justice for Latu to finally be the one to break one of the NFL's longest standing records by a player who represented the NFL's yesteryear version of the Colts, and with three interceptions under his belt after just Week 7, Latu would be well on his way.
Prediction No. 2: Adonai Mitchell earns his way back into playing time
It was Week 4 that Adonai Mitchell had two critical gaffes that contributed to the Colts' only loss of the season. In Week 5, Mitchell was active because of a lack of available receivers, but didn't see any action until the backups were in the game in the fourth quarter. In Week 6, he was flat-out inactive for the game.
Mitchell is a frustrating player in that he has all of the talent in the world. Unfortunately, he's been unable to capitalize on that talent and become the electric player that he could be. With any luck, his hitting rock bottom against the Rams in Week 4 was the wake up call he needed to finally become a winning player on this team.
Mitchell is far too talented to stay benched for long if he really puts his nose to the grindstone, even with the Colts admirable receiver depth. Hopefully, this outing against the Chargers is the quintessential get-right game for the young player, and we see his rise to become the best version of himself as the season goes on.
Prediction No. 3: This game will be decided by one score
The Los Angeles Chargers, when healthy, are a very good football team. The only reason they've had struggles in the past weeks has been because this is a team that is decimated by injury, especially in the offensive line and running back rooms.
Still, they're far from pushovers even with all of their injuries. This is a more dangerous team than the Cardinals, and Arizona pushed Indy to the brink in Week 6 with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. LA has Justin Herbert commanding their offense, an arguable top 5 player at the position.
The Chargers have dropped games to inferior teams (i.e. the Giants), but they haven't been even close to being blown out this year. If there's one thing about having an alien at quarterback, it's that they'll keep your team in it until the end. The Chargers have one, so don't necessarily expect another blowout like the Raiders game, Colts fans.
Prediction No. 4: The Colts will punt less than twice all game
It feels like the 2025 Colts are almost synonymous with the idea of not punting at this point. The team started out at a record-setting pace, and even though they've come slightly back down to earth since then, they've still ranked near the top of the league in fewest punts.
The Chargers depth chart lists Donte Jackson and Cam Hart as their top two cornerbacks. For a team with as many offensive threats as Indianapolis features, Sunday could bring a feast through the air. And, as always happens, success through the air opens up the run game, and vice versa.
The Chargers don't have a bad defense by any means, but the Colts have an elite offense, and the disparity will show come game time.
Ultimately, these predictions are meant to be bold. Is it likely that Laiatu Latu nabs a third interception on the season? Not necessarily. Is it possible, however? Yes, and it would be truly awesome to see. Still, none of these predictions matter to fans of the team as long as the team gets the W on Sunday. Let's hope Indy can continue to stack the wins, Colts fans.