Chargers clinch a playoff berth against lifeless Colts led by rusty Nick Foles

Nick Foles won a Super Bowl. Not only that, he had one of the greatest performances in Super Bowl history and won MVP. Really, that happened.

Foles has had one of the strangest careers in NFL history. Watching the guy who played quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night, you'd have never guessed No. 9 had posted one of the best seasons for a quarterback in NFL history, in terms of passer rating, and will be hailed forever in Philadelphia as a hero for carrying the Eagles to their first Super Bowl title.

Foles wasn't the answer for the Colts. He threw three interceptions and looked entirely overmatched by a Los Angeles Chargers defense that isn't very good. The Chargers clinched a playoff berth with an easy 20-3 win. That's an impressive achievement after all the injuries they took on during the season.

Interim Colts head coach Jeff Saturday looks in over his head as well. He beat the Las Vegas Raiders in his first game and hasn't won since. The Colts have been embarrassed a few times since he took over, and Monday was a new way to look bad, with a quarterback who was so awful it looked like he'd never even seen the playbook before kickoff on Monday night.

Nick Foles struggles badly vs. Chargers' D

Seriously, Foles has had a few of the greatest moments in NFL history. He shares an NFL record with seven touchdown passes in a game. He still has the fourth-highest single-season passer rating in NFL history, and only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning are above him. Then he fell off after that great 2013 season, only to rise again with the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles. He threw for 373 yards and the Eagles beat the New England Patriots for a Super Bowl title.

And then, he fell off again after that Super Bowl. When the Colts benched Matt Ryan for a second time this season, they didn't want to try Sam Ehlinger again. They picked Foles, maybe figuring he had some magic left. He didn't.

Foles threw two interceptions in the first quarter and both were bad. He wasn't just rusty throwing his first passes of the season, he was creaking and squeaking with every throw.

This has been a truly miserable season for the Colts. Ryan didn't work out at quarterback. Frank Reich was fired and the team was roasted for hiring Jeff Saturday with no experience. Saturday hasn't made anyone look wrong. The Colts blew a 33-0 lead, the worst collapse in NFL history.

By comparison to the rest of their season, Monday night wasn't rock bottom. But it was unspeakably ugly.

Chargers clinch a playoff spot

The Chargers deserve some credit for the Colts' awful performance. Throughout recent history, this is exactly the type of game the Chargers would lose. They had gotten everyone's hopes up about a playoff spot. They were facing a bad team they were expected to beat. They've lost in plenty of those situations before.

Los Angeles handled business. It wasn't as dominant as it probably should have been on offense, but a long drive produced Austin Ekeler's second touchdown. The Chargers led 20-3. They weren't giving up a 13-3 lead, but 20-3 was insurmountable against the Colts' offense.

The Chargers are 9-6. They have enough talent to put a scare into any playoff opponent, especially if pass rusher Joey Bosa returns soon. He is expected to return to practice this week.

The Colts were supposed to contend for a playoff spot. They looked like the best team in the AFC South before the season started. It has been an absolute nightmare instead.