Darren "Tank" Sproles Rumbles Over Colts

AFC Wild Card Chargers 23 Colts 17 OT Darren Sproles finished the night with 328 all-purpose yards, the third-most ever by a player in an NFL Playoff game.

AFC Playoffs Wild Card Weekend: Chargers Stun Colts in Overtime, 23-17

The Chargers rallied from a 17-14 fourth quarter deficit behind an outstanding defensive effort, punter Mike Scifres and the all-purpose assault by Darren "Tank" Sproles to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, 23-17 in overtime.

Sproles played the key role in the Chargers AFC Wild Card win over Indianapolis, recording 328 all-purpose yards, third-most in an NFL Playoff game.

Carrying the workload for an injured LaDainian Tomlinson who contributed with a few runs and a TD in the first half, Sproles recorded his second-straight 100-yard game (105 yards on 23 carries) and scored the decisive touchdown on a 22-yard run to defeat the Colts.

San Diego Chargers 23 Indianapolis Colts 17 Overtime - Saturday, January 3, 2009

After trailing 7-0 and 10-7, the Chargers rallied and led 14-10 at the half.

LaDainian Tomlinson, who played sparingly in the first half, scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter to knot the score at 7-7. Tomlinson was limited to 25-yards rushing on 5 carries before his early exit.

In the third quarter, the Colts caught the Chargers off-guard while substituting defenders and made them pay with a 72-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne. The quick snap pass play gave Indianapolis a 17-14 lead with 8:10 remaining.

On the ensuing drive, the Chargers looked as if they would respond with a TD of their own. Starting from their own 20, the Chargers drove down to the Colts 9-yard line on 11 plays, gaining 78 yards in the process and taking 6:05 off the game clock. However, Sproles then fumbled the ball on the Colts 2-yard line.

The Chargers defense shut the Colts down the rest of the way as the Colts high-powered offense led by Peyton Manning did not produce any more points. A key defensive stand came late in the fourth quarter when Tim Dobbins sacked of Manning at the Colts own one-yard line. It was Dobbins' first career sack and it couldn't come at a more opportune time.

The sack allowed Chargers QB Philip Rivers and the offense enough time for a final drive in regulation.

Sproles returned the ensuing punt to the Colts 38. Philip Rivers drove the Chargers 30-yards and 7 plays consuming only 1 minute and 17 seconds to the Colts eight-yard line.

Nate Kaeding's 26-yard field goal tied the game with 31 seconds remaining and, thus, forcing overtime.

The Chargers won the overtime coin toss and elected to receive. Two costly penalties by the Colts on consecutive plays (defensive holding and face-mask) advanced the Chargers from the 40, where they had third-and-8, to the 20. Sproles was then tackled for a 2-yard loss. The Chargers went right back to Sproles, who this time, broke thru the Colts defensive line for 22 yards and crossed the goal line to win the game. The 22-yard touchdown run capped an 11-play, 75-yard drive.

Sproles finished the night with 328 all-purpose yards, the third-most ever by a player in an NFL Playoff game.

Another key to the Chargers victory was the punting of Mike Scifres, who had a record-breaking night.

Scifres landed all six of his punts inside the 20, the highest number and percentage of punts landed inside the 20 in a playoff game in NFL history. Scifres also averaged an NFL Playoff-record 51.7 net yards per punt (min. 5 punts) against the Colts, who managed just six punt return yards vs. the Chargers. As a result, the Colts were forced to start drives at the 10, 19, 3, 7, 9 and 1 yard lines following his punts.

Chargers - Colts Score by Quarters

Indianapolis Colts	7	3	7	0	0	17
San Diego Chargers	0	14	0	3	6	23

Colts - Chargers Scoring Drives

Team	Qtr.	Time	Scoring Play	Drive	Score
Colts	1	2:59	J.Addai 1 yd. run (A.Vinatieri kick)	[9-81, 5:02]	7-0
Chargers	2	10:15	L.Tomlinson 3 yd. run (N.Kaeding kick)	[4-44, 2:18]	7-7
Colts	2	6:46	A.Vinatieri 43 yd. Field Goal	[8-42, 3:29]	10-7
Chargers	2	0:42	D.Sproles 9 yd. run (N.Kaeding kick)	[6-45, 2:19]	10-14
Colts	3	8:10	R.Wayne 72 yd. pass from P.Manning (A.Vinatieri kick)	[5-91, 1:32]	17-14
Chargers	4	0:31	N.Kaeding 26 yd. Field Goal	[7-30, 1:17]	17-17
Chargers	OT	8:40	D.Sproles 22 yd. run	[10-75, 6:20]	23-17

Indianapolis Colts vs San Diego Chargers Final Statistics 1/3/2009 at Qualcomm Stadium

Statistics	Colts	Chargers
TOTAL FIRST DOWNS	17	26
By Rushing	5	11
By Passing	11	12
By Penalty	1	3
THIRD DOWN EFFICIENCY	6-15-40%	6-14-43%
FOURTH DOWN EFFICIENCY	0-1-0%	1-1-100%
TOTAL NET YARDS	366	357
Total Offensive Plays (inc. times thrown passing)	65	73
Average gain per offensive play	5.6	4.9
NET YARDS RUSHING	64	167
Total Rushing Plays	22	33
Average gain per rushing play	2.9	5.1
Tackles for a loss-number and yards	1-1	3-5
NET YARDS PASSING	302	190
Times thrown - yards lost attempting to pass	1-8	4-27
Gross yards passing	310	217
PASS ATTEMPTS-COMPLETIONS-HAD INTERCEPTED	42-25-0	36-20-1
Avg gain per pass play (inc.# thrown passing)	7.0	4.8
KICKOFFS Number-In End Zone-Touchbacks	5-3-1	4-0-0
PUNTS Number and Average	6-46.8	6-52.7
Had Blocked	0	0
FGs - PATs Had Blocked	0-0	0-0
Net Punting Average	31.5	51.7
TOTAL RETURN YARDAGE (Not Including Kickoffs)	42	72
No. and Yards Punt Returns	2-6	3-72
No. and Yards Kickoff Returns	4-63	4-106
No. and Yards Interception Returns	1-36	0-0
PENALTIES Number and Yards	9-74	3-40
FUMBLES Number and Lost	0-0	1-1
TOUCHDOWNS	2	3
Rushing	1	3
Passing	1	0
EXTRA POINTS Made-Attempts	2-2	2-2
Kicking Made-Attempts	2-2	2-2
FIELD GOALS Made-Attempts	1-1	1-1
RED ZONE EFFICIENCY	1-1-100%	2-4-50%
GOAL TO GO EFFICIENCY	1-1-100%	2-3-67%
SAFETIES	0	0
FINAL SCORE	17	23
TIME OF POSSESSION	29:11	37:09

NFL Wild Card Playoffs - Chargers Stun Colts in Overtime, 23-17