Chargers' controversial roster decision instantly backfired in big way vs. Colts

As the Los Angeles Chargers fell to the Indianapolis Colts, 38-24, in Week 7, there were a number of things, on both sides of the ball, that fell flat for the team.

Yet, one relatively unnoticed blunder, the 81-yard kickoff return that Ameer Abdullah had in the third quarter, connects directly back to the Chargers' decision to cut Caleb Murphy from the roster earlier this week.

While they made this move in anticipation of Khalil Mack's return from the injured reserve, it had massive ramifications for the outcome of the game, ultimately putting it out of reach when Justin Herbert and the team's offense began to surge late.

Chargers' Caleb Murphy decision cost them majorly in Week 7 against the Colts

Caleb Murphy, who joined Los Angeles last season and was playing in his fourth year in the NFL, had played a major role in the team's special teams unit throughout the course of the season.

Yet, with Mack returning from injury in the near future and multiple players having already been called up from the practice squad to account for injuries to the backfield and the offensive line, Murphy was the unfortunate odd man out.

However, this move forced pass rusher Tuli Tuipulotu to take snaps as part of the special teams unit against the Colts, and, on Abdullah's eye-popping kick return, Tuipulotu takes a bad angle trying to make the tackle, allowing Abdullah the space to burst for big yardage.

At this point in the game, the Chargers had just scored a touchdown, on the back of an absurd 53-yard catch in space for tight end Oronde Gadsden, making the score 10-23 and bringing themselves back within striking distance in what had looked to be a blowout up to that point.

Instead, the Colts only needed to make two more plays for the score following this kick return, putting the game ultimately out of reach.

While it is not certain that Murphy would have made that play, he likely would have been more poised than Tuipulotu to do so. Although Tuipulotu played 79% of special teams snaps for the team last season, he had hardly done so heading into Week 7 this season.

Undoubtedly, the team has other, more glaring, problems, that led to their defeat in this game. However, it's never as easy pill to swallow when a recent roster move comes back to bite in such a disastrous fashion.