The Indianapolis Colts could move to 3-1 on Sunday, but it’s a few things they must do in order to beat the Los Angeles Rams.
By John Makuch
Coach Shane Steichen and the Indianapolis Colts have exceeded expectations after a gutsy overtime win against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. Now, they will have to keep the momentum going with a tough home matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Los Angeles is coming into this game after back-to-back losses at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals, most recently in primetime. The NFL world is still looking to see if this team will return to the ranks of the elite after their Super Bowl hangover, and this game against Indianapolis is a chance for that return.
But given how the Colts played against the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis is not going to be the easy win on the schedule that some teams most likely thought they were. This squad is currently leading the AFC South, and starting off 3-1 makes them a legitimate contender to go out and take the division, especially given the struggles of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
These interconference matchups do not necessarily matter as much when it comes to standings, as the AFC matchup against Baltimore did, but taking advantage of an opportunity to end up in the win column is important as any week.
Indianapolis will need to do a lot right to defeat the talented team that is the Los Angeles Rams, but what are the key factors they will need to take care of to come out with the win on Sunday? Well, it starts with their quarterback, Anthony Richardson.
1) Keep Anthony Richardson healthy and comfortable in his return
Anthony Richardson has been a full participant in practice leading up to this game, so it looks like he will make his return after missing the Baltimore game due to a concussion. If he still needs more time to recover though, it will be Minshew mania all over again, with Gardner Minshew playing, which has looked good so far.
But in the more likely scenario that Richardson is ready to go, making sure that he is wary of protecting himself, while also still going out there and being the player he can be is important. Richardson needs to find a balance between being cautious and still feeling comfortable using his legs to make plays for this team.
From what he showed with his legs in the Texans game, he can score easily due to his size and speed, but he also has to make sure he cleans up the accuracy and deep ball issues in the passing game. While that will come with reps, he did miss a week of football so it will be interesting to see how well he plays as the starter for this team.
This Rams’ defense is no joke, especially with Aaron Donald being an unstoppable force that this offensive line will struggle to handle. Donald is the one player you do not want to have a quarterback playing in his third NFL game ever have to deal with, but Richardson will have to rise above it all if they want to win this game against this Rams’ defense.
2) Stop Rams receiving core, including Puka Nacua
Indianapolis dodges a bullet with the lack of Cooper Kupp in this game for Los Angeles, but this Colts’ defense will still have their work cut out for them and then some this Sunday. The Rams have a great balance of speed, size, and elite route-running in this receiving core, and all of these receivers will be a problem.
The biggest problem, in all likelihood, will be Puka Nacua, who has completely burst on the scene in the absence of Kupp, his targets in his first two games are the most in NFL history, and he has taken advantage of his opportunities with 30 receptions and 338 yards on the season. He has not hit the endzone yet, so he will be looking to do that against the Colts, and he will be tough to stop from doing so.
This secondary will also have to deal with players like Tutu Atwell and Van Jefferson, who have great speed and could burn a corner at a moment’s notice. While inconsistent, guys like these are absolute playmakers that make stopping them very hard to get done. Ben Skowronek finds his way to get used in the slot while also getting his opportunity as a gadget guy when need be, so keeping an eye on him as a playmaker will also be key.
While a bit past his prime, Matthew Stafford has still had his fair share of solid moments this season spreading the ball to these receivers, so keeping this whole unit in check will be key to picking up a win against the Rams.
3) Feed Zack Moss
The biggest takeaway from the win against the Baltimore Ravens was that Zack Moss can absolutely ball. The former Bills running back took 30 carries for 122 yards averaging just over four yards a carry, the week before in the Texans game he averaged just under five yards per carry.
Moss has been a great bright spot in the absence of Jonathan Taylor and has been looked upon to carry the load after Deon Jackson did not perform and is now off the team for Trey Sermon. Moss almost singlehandedly won the Colts a game last week, and he may just do it again.
A huge play he made was a big receiving touchdown where he just went up and got a big-time catch and took it to score, so finding him in the receiving game more will be in the cards as well. It will be interesting to see how him and Anthony Richardson connect after a week absence and Moss playing well with Minshew.
But riding the hot hand is so important when it comes to the NFL and running backs, keeping that momentum going is crucial to these types of players. While it will be difficult given the fact that Aaron Donald is right up the middle every single time, Moss is great at running to the outside, and dump-offs to him in the receiving game will work just fine.
Having a playmaker when things go wrong is crucial to a team like this winning, and the Colts have found that with Moss.
Originally posted on horseshoeheroes.com