When it comes to back-to-backs, oftentimes the outcome of the second game boils down to attrition and conditioning. And when that second game falls on an afternoon like Sunday, when the sun is set to max brightness and clouds are few and far between, pulling flags can start to feel like playing tug of war against a race horse.

That wasn’t a problem on Sunday for the COLTS, who sprinted to a 18-6 victory over the CHARGERS. And make no mistake: the COLTS had every reason to be exhausted out there. Not only were they coming off a game, but they were only fielding five players, meaning they had no subs when someone needed a blow. And on top of that, Coby spent most of his afternoon getting roughed up—he took a nasty fall and dealt with a bloody nose in the first half alone. 

And yet, it was the COLTS zipping around the field on defense and racing back to their endzone after turnovers (as in literally racing each other to the goal line). Coby channeled the adrenaline from his injuries into a pair of electrifying touchdown runs. Coach Jay was thrilled, but not surprised. “They’ve been getting a lot better all year,” he told me, saying that this was the most comfortable they’d looked all season.

To be clear, it wasn’t just the Koby show. Kayne held down the quarterbacking for most of the day, distributing the ball all over with pinpoint accuracy. One of those passes was a touchdown to Lucas, who made a clutch grab in the endzone on fourth and goal. Dylan and Cole energized the offense with multiple jittery runs through the CHARGER defense. And with the playoffs starting next week, the COLTS know for sure they can handle whatever comes at them.