Jones was clean. Taylor was unstoppable. Herbert threw for 420 yards and still lost by 14.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — October 19, 2025 | Justin Herbert completed 37 passes Sunday, breaking a Chargers franchise record. He threw for 420 yards, a career high. He had three touchdown passes. Indianapolis beat him 38-24.
That contradiction runs through every layer of this game. The Chargers outgained the Colts in total yards, held the ball for nearly nine more minutes, and converted 8-of-16 third downs. They still trailed 23-3 at halftime and never got close enough to matter. Two interceptions in critical situations, a ground game that generated 54 yards all afternoon, and a Colts front that generated 33 pressures on Herbert made the difference.
Shane Steichen, who spent years as Herbert’s offensive coordinator before taking the Indianapolis head coaching job, walked back into SoFi Stadium and left with his sixth win of the season. The Colts are 6-1, the best record in the NFL through seven weeks and their strongest start since 2009. It was their first win over the Chargers since September 25, 2016, and their first victory of any kind in Los Angeles since 1986.
“It’s great to come back here,” Steichen said. “I got a lot of great memories here.”
Table of Contents
Game Information
- Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
- Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
- Attendance: 71,124
- Records: Colts 6-1 / Chargers 4-3
- Line: LAC -2.0
- Total: 48.0 (final 62 pts — OVER)
Scoring Summary
| Q | Time | Team | Play | IND | LAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12:36 | IND | Jonathan Taylor 23-yd rush (PAT failed) | 6 | 0 |
| 1 | 7:35 | LAC | Cameron Dicker 43-yd FG | 6 | 3 |
| 2 | 14:54 | IND | Michael Pittman Jr. 4-yd pass from Jones (kick good) | 13 | 3 |
| 2 | 8:56 | IND | Tyler Warren 5-yd pass from Jones (kick good) | 20 | 3 |
| 2 | 0:00 | IND | Michael Badgley 36-yd FG | 23 | 3 |
| 3 | 13:01 | LAC | Quentin Johnston 7-yd pass from Herbert (kick good) | 23 | 10 |
| 3 | 12:03 | IND | Jonathan Taylor 8-yd rush (2-pt conv: Jones to Pittman) | 31 | 10 |
| 3 | 6:13 | LAC | Keenan Allen 4-yd pass from Herbert (kick good) | 31 | 17 |
| 3 | 3:33 | IND | Jonathan Taylor 19-yd rush (kick good) | 38 | 17 |
| 4 | 13:40 | LAC | Oronde Gadsden II 15-yd pass from Herbert (kick good) | 38 | 24 |
Jonathan Taylor Runs Into the Record Books
Sixteen carries, 94 yards, three touchdowns. Taylor scored on runs of 23, 8, and 19 yards. No defender touched him in the end zone on any of them.
It was his third three-touchdown game in five outings. He also caught all three of his targets for 38 yards, finishing with 132 total yards from scrimmage. The Colts went 3-for-3 on fourth-down attempts and scored on five of their nine drives. Their ground game averaged 5.2 yards per carry and held Los Angeles’s first-half run defense to just 10 rushing yards in the first two quarters before pulling away completely.
“When you have an offensive line like we have,” Taylor said, “I try to give them as much praise as possible because they do a lot of the heavy lifting and dirty work and they really make the job easy.”
Steichen put it more directly: “He’s the best back in the league right now. There’s no doubt.”
Rushing Stats
| Player | Team | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | IND | 16 | 94 | 5.9 | 3 | 23 |
| Ameer Abdullah | IND | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 14 |
| Daniel Jones | IND | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | 0 | 7 |
| Indianapolis | 23 | 120 | 5.2 | 3 | 23 | |
| Justin Herbert | LAC | 6 | 31 | 5.2 | 0 | 11 |
| Kimani Vidal | LAC | 9 | 20 | 2.2 | 0 | 5 |
| Hassan Haskins | LAC | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | 16 | 54 | 3.4 | 0 | 11 |
Daniel Jones Stays Clean, Colts Receivers Do the Rest
Jones finished 23-of-34 for 288 yards, 2 touchdowns, and zero interceptions, taking one sack. His passer rating was 113.4, his average depth of target was 10.8 yards, and his average time to throw was 2.78 seconds — the faster of the two starters.
The defining throw came midway through the second quarter on a third-and-17. Down 7 yards on a sack, Jones put a 48-yard ball on Alec Pierce in stride to convert and eventually set up a Tyler Warren touchdown.
Warren, a rookie tight end, played 55 snaps and caught all four of his targets for 69 yards and a score. Fifty-seven of those yards came after the catch. He is developing into a reliable weapon in the middle of the field. Michael Pittman Jr. caught 7-of-9 targets for 58 yards and a touchdown.
“Daniel understands situational football as good as it gets,” Steichen said. “He’s done a hell of a job.”
Indianapolis Passing Stats
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | SK | YDS LOST | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Jones | 23/34 | 288 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 113.4 |
Indianapolis Receiving Stats
| Player | TGT | REC | YDS | TD | AVG | LONG | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alec Pierce | 10 | 5 | 98 | 0 | 19.6 | 48 | 8 |
| Tyler Warren | 5 | 4 | 69 | 1 | 17.3 | 29 | 57 |
| Michael Pittman Jr. | 9 | 7 | 58 | 1 | 8.3 | 16 | 24 |
| Jonathan Taylor | 3 | 3 | 38 | 0 | 12.7 | 19 | 41 |
| Adonai Mitchell | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 5 |
| Ameer Abdullah | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 2 |
| Mo Alie-Cox | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6.0 | 6 | 5 |
| Anthony Gould | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 |
Herbert’s 420 Yards and Three Touchdowns Were Not Enough
Herbert’s 37 completions broke a Chargers franchise record. His 420 yards were the most he had ever thrown for in an NFL game. Those numbers appeared in the box score of a loss decided before the third quarter started.
Two turnovers explain the gap. Late in the second quarter, with the Chargers inside the Indianapolis 10-yard line and a chance to make the halftime deficit manageable, Herbert threw into the end zone and safety Nick Cross intercepted it. Indianapolis drove down the field and kicked a field goal as time expired to go into the break up 23-3.
Earlier in that second quarter, defensive tackle Grover Stewart batted a Herbert pass at the line of scrimmage and it popped straight into the air. Stewart, a 314-pound nose tackle, caught it for the first interception of his NFL career. Colts players sprinted down the sideline in celebration.
Herbert knew the turnovers were the story: “I just can’t turn the ball over like that. We can’t expect to win games when I turn the ball over in the red zone like that.”
Rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II was Herbert’s best weapon, catching 7-of-9 targets for 164 yards and a touchdown, including a 53-yard reception in the third quarter that was the longest gain of the game. Keenan Allen added 11 catches for 119 yards and a score. Herbert was also sacked three times for a loss of 29 yards, finishing with a 93.0 passer rating.
Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. credited the opposition directly: “Shout out to Shane. Man, great, great game plan. Great team, a playoff-caliber team.”
Los Angeles Passing Stats
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | SK | YDS LOST | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | 37/55 | 420 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 93.0 |
Los Angeles Receiving Stats
| Player | TGT | REC | YDS | TD | AVG | LONG | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oronde Gadsden II | 9 | 7 | 164 | 1 | 23.4 | 53 | 62 |
| Keenan Allen | 14 | 11 | 119 | 1 | 10.8 | 30 | 30 |
| Ladd McConkey | 15 | 9 | 67 | 0 | 7.4 | 15 | 17 |
| Quentin Johnston | 6 | 2 | 30 | 1 | 15.0 | 23 | 2 |
| Tre Harris | 2 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 11.5 | 14 | 5 |
| Kimani Vidal | 5 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 3.8 | 8 | 17 |
| Hassan Haskins | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 | 9 |
| Will Dissly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
Buckner Wrecks the Pocket, Colts Hold the Run
Los Angeles gained 10 rushing yards on six carries in the first half. Herbert accounted for 31 of the team’s 54 total rushing yards on the day. The Chargers’ running backs combined for 23 yards on 10 attempts.
DeForest Buckner was the reason the pocket collapsed. The defensive tackle generated 2 sacks, 4 QB hits, 5 hurries, and 9 total pressures across 60 snaps, earning the highest PFF grade among all players in this game at 90.8. Laiatu Latu added a sack, 4 hits, and 2 hurries alongside him.
As a unit, the Colts generated 33 pressures on Herbert’s 58 dropbacks — a pressure rate above 56%.
Colts Pass Rush Stats
| Player | POS | SNAPS | PRESSURES | SACKS | HITS | HURRIES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeForest Buckner | DT | 60 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Kwity Paye | DE | 51 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| Laiatu Latu | DE | 53 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| JT Tuimoloau | DE | 22 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Adetomiwa Adebawore | DT | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Pressures per PFF. Hits column reflects PFF definition (distinct from PFR QB Hits).
Team Stats
| Stat | IND | LAC |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 38 | 24 |
| Total Yards | 401 | 445 |
| Net Pass Yards | 281 | 391 |
| Rush Yards | 120 | 54 |
| Rush Attempts | 23 | 16 |
| Yards Per Rush | 5.2 | 3.4 |
| Comp / Att | 23/34 | 37/55 |
| Passing TDs | 2 | 3 |
| INTs Thrown | 0 | 2 |
| Sacks – Yards Lost | 1 – 7 | 3 – 29 |
| 1st Downs | 24 | 25 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 5/11 | 8/16 |
| 4th Down Conv. | 3/3 | 3/4 |
| Red Zone (Made / Att) | 4 TD, 1 FG / 5 | 3 TD, 0 FG / 4 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
| Penalties – Yards | 3 – 42 | 6 – 35 |
| Time of Possession | 25:33 | 34:27 |
| Total Drives | 9 | 8 |
| Avg Yards Per Drive | 40.1 | 50.8 |
| EPA Per Passing Play | +0.40 (89th pct.) | +0.16 (62nd pct.) |
| EPA Per Rushing Play | +0.40 (100th pct.) | +0.03 (83rd pct.) |
Full Box Score
Passing
| Player | Team | C / ATT | YDS | TD | INT | SK | YDS LOST | LNG | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Jones | IND | 23/34 | 288 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 48 | 113.4 |
| Justin Herbert | LAC | 37/55 | 420 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 53 | 93.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Team | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LONG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Taylor | IND | 16 | 94 | 5.9 | 3 | 23 |
| Daniel Jones | IND | 5 | 7 | 1.4 | 0 | 7 |
| Ameer Abdullah | IND | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 14 |
| Indianapolis | 23 | 120 | 5.2 | 3 | 23 | |
| Justin Herbert | LAC | 6 | 31 | 5.2 | 0 | 11 |
| Kimani Vidal | LAC | 9 | 20 | 2.2 | 0 | 5 |
| Hassan Haskins | LAC | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | 16 | 54 | 3.4 | 0 | 11 |
Receiving
| Player | Team | TGT | REC | YDS | TD | AVG | LONG | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alec Pierce | IND | 10 | 5 | 98 | 0 | 19.6 | 48 | 8 |
| Tyler Warren | IND | 5 | 4 | 69 | 1 | 17.3 | 29 | 57 |
| Michael Pittman Jr. | IND | 9 | 7 | 58 | 1 | 8.3 | 16 | 24 |
| Jonathan Taylor | IND | 3 | 3 | 38 | 0 | 12.7 | 19 | 41 |
| Adonai Mitchell | IND | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 5 |
| Ameer Abdullah | IND | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 8.0 | 8 | 2 |
| Mo Alie-Cox | IND | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 6.0 | 6 | 5 |
| Anthony Gould | IND | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3.0 | 3 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden II | LAC | 9 | 7 | 164 | 1 | 23.4 | 53 | 62 |
| Keenan Allen | LAC | 14 | 11 | 119 | 1 | 10.8 | 30 | 30 |
| Ladd McConkey | LAC | 15 | 9 | 67 | 0 | 7.4 | 15 | 17 |
| Quentin Johnston | LAC | 6 | 2 | 30 | 1 | 15.0 | 23 | 2 |
| Tre Harris | LAC | 2 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 11.5 | 14 | 5 |
| Kimani Vidal | LAC | 5 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 3.8 | 8 | 17 |
| Hassan Haskins | LAC | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1.0 | 2 | 9 |
| Will Dissly | LAC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
Defense
| Player | Team | TOT | SOLO | SK | TFL | PD | INT | QB HTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camryn Bynum | IND | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenny Moore II | IND | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Cross | IND | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Mekhi Blackmon | IND | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnathan Edwards | IND | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeForest Buckner | IND | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Zaire Franklin | IND | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Germaine Pratt | IND | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neville Gallimore | IND | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Laiatu Latu | IND | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Austin Ajiake | IND | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Lammons | IND | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rodney Thomas II | IND | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adetomiwa Adebawore | IND | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Mitchell | IND | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grover Stewart | IND | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Kwity Paye | IND | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| JT Tuimoloau | IND | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Derwin James Jr. | LAC | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Tony Jefferson | LAC | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| R.J. Mickens | LAC | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamaree Caldwell | LAC | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Hart | LAC | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Perryman | LAC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donte Jackson | LAC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin St-Juste | LAC | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | LAC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | LAC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Teair Tart | LAC | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Mack | LAC | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Naquan Jones | LAC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daiyan Henley | LAC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bud Dupree | LAC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuli Tuipulotu | LAC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Interceptions
| Player | Team | INT | YDS | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Cross | IND | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Grover Stewart | IND | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Kick Returns
| Player | Team | NO | YDS | AVG | LONG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameer Abdullah | IND | 2 | 109 | 54.5 | 81 | 0 |
| Anthony Gould | IND | 3 | 84 | 28.0 | 33 | 0 |
| Nyheim Hines | LAC | 4 | 98 | 24.5 | 29 | 0 |
| Derius Davis | LAC | 2 | 49 | 24.5 | 30 | 0 |
Punt Returns
| Player | Team | NO | YDS | AVG | LONG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derius Davis | LAC | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | -3 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Team | FG | PCT | LNG | XPM/XPA | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Badgley | IND | 1/1 | 100% | 36 | 3/4 | 6 |
| Cameron Dicker | LAC | 1/1 | 100% | 43 | 3/3 | 6 |
Punting
| Player | Team | NO | YDS | AVG | LNG | TB | IN20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigoberto Sanchez | IND | 2 | 87 | 43.5 | 44 | 0 | 1 |
| JK Scott | LAC | 1 | 53 | 53.0 | 53 | 1 | 0 |
PFF Performance Grades
| Player | Team | POS | SNAPS | GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeForest Buckner | IND | DT | 60 | 90.8 |
| Justin Herbert | LAC | QB | 76 | 87.0 |
| Oronde Gadsden II | LAC | TE | 60 | 86.8 (rookie) |
| Quenton Nelson | IND | G | 57 | 83.1 |
| Keenan Allen | LAC | WR | 49 | 82.4 |
| Bernhard Raimann | IND | T | 60 | 80.9 |
| Laiatu Latu | IND | DE | 53 | 79.0 |
| Adetomiwa Adebawore | IND | DT | 30 | 78.4 |
| Bud Dupree | LAC | ED | 38 | 78.0 |
| Kwity Paye | IND | DE | 51 | 73.4 |
Initial PFF grades, subject to review.
The Return That Put the Game Away
After Quentin Johnston’s third-quarter touchdown made it 23-10, Ameer Abdullah took the ensuing kickoff 81 yards to the Los Angeles 14-yard line. Two plays later, Taylor ran in from eight yards out to push the lead to 31-10. The Chargers had just cut into the deficit with their first score of the second half, and it was immediately answered.
Where the Chargers Go From Here
Indianapolis leaves Inglewood leading the AFC South at 6-1, averaging more points per game than any team in the NFL through seven weeks. The ground game works, the quarterback doesn’t turn the ball over, and the defensive front generated 33 pressures on a franchise quarterback who was playing the game of his career.
The Chargers fall to 4-3 with three losses in their last four games. Herbert’s numbers look like a franchise quarterback at his best. The problem was simple: two interceptions at moments when the game was still within reach.
“I was proud of the way the guys fought,” Herbert said. “They never gave up. We always thought we were in it.”
Down 23-3 at halftime, they were never really in it.
Stats sourced from Pro Football Reference, ESPN, and Pro Football Focus. PFF grades are initial assessments subject to review. Game played October 19, 2025, at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California.
