Indianapolis Colts @ Los Angeles Rams
Final Score: Rams 27, Colts 20
Writer: Kevan Downs (kdsportsnet on Instagram)
A very slow game to watch at times when both offenses struggled to sustain drives. After not punting much at all in the first three weeks, the Colts punted four times, as well as having two interceptions. Adonai Mitchell had what would have been another touchdown, but let go of the ball prior to crossing the goal line resulting in a touchback and possession going to the Rams. Kyren Williams did his best for the Rams’ offense, rushing at a clip of 5.9 yards per carry as well as being great in pass protection for Matthew Stafford. Stafford and Puka Nacua connected 13 times in the game, including one in the fourth quarter for his first receiving touchdown of the year. Stafford also found Tutu Atwell deep for his lone reception of the day that he took to the house for an 88-yard touchdown that put the Rams on top. The defense help up on the ensuing drive and intercepted Daniel Jones to seal the game.
Four Up
- Puka Nacua — If you can imagine being any higher on the guy, Puka went off for a 13-catch, 170-yard day and found the end zone for the first time this season
- Michael Pittman — Was targeted more in the second half when the offense was moving the ball better. Only five catches on 10 targets but it is promising to see this many targets for an offense that, so far, hasn’t had a true No. 1 receiving option emerge.
- Tyler Warren — The Colts continue to find ways to use Warren. He received touches as a receiver, fullback, and out of the wildcat formation.
- Blake Corum — Despite some early drops in the game out of the backfield, the Rams continued to give Corum touches as the game went on. Still not a threat to Kyren Williams‘ RB1 status, but encouraging that the Rams still went to him after his mistakes.
Two Down
- Daniel Jones — Jones’ first rough game of the season. The offense struggled to sustain drives and he threw two interceptions.
- Adonai Mitchell — On the wrong side of two plays that would’ve gone for touchdowns, Mitchell dropped the ball before crossing the goal line and the ball went out of the back for a touchback. He was also called for holding on a big run for Jonathan Taylor, getting it called back.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterback
Daniel Jones: 24/33, 262 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INT | 1 Carry, -1 Yard
Notes
- It was a mixed bag of results for Daniel Jones. He continued to hold up well against pressure, keeping his eyes downfield to try to find his guys. As has been the trend to start the year, he continues to spread the ball around to his different receivers (five receivers had at least four targets). However, the Rams’ defense was able to read him very well at times. They jumped the route on the first drive of the game for the interception, on a pass that was slightly underthrown to Adonai Mitchell, nearly did it again on the second drive, and successfully jumped in front of Michael Pittman Jr. deep on the last drive for the Colts, resulting in an interception to seal the win. Jones will need to clean up the tunnel vision in the subsequent weeks if the Colts want to get back to the offensive success they had in the first three weeks. With a deep group of receivers and Jonathan Taylor there to take pressure off of him, I would expect a bounce-back week next week against a much softer defense in the Raiders.
Missed Opportunities
- Jones would’ve had another touchdown. He found Mitchell who took it 75 yards before letting go of the ball before crossing the goal line. It went out of the back of the end zone resulting in a touchback for the Rams.
Running Back
Jonathan Taylor: 17 Carries, 76 Yards | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 20 Yards
Notes
- Jonathan Taylor continues to be one of the most productive running backs in the league. He seldom has runs that result in negative yards and always has the big-play potential to rip off a big one. The Colts continued their trend of a more pass-heavy attack in the first half, while running more in the second. Taylor got most of his carries late in the third and fourth quarters, which is when the Colts were more successful at sustaining drives. However, with the struggles moving the ball in the first half, we could see a more balanced attack across the entirety of the game moving forward. Regardless, Taylor will always see his opportunities. Tyler Warren had the second-most rushes on the team with two.
Missed Opportunities
- Taylor broke free for what would have been a near 50-yard touchdown run. This was called back due to a holding call against Mitchell.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Michael Pittman Jr.: 10 Targets, 5 Receptions, 41 Yards, 1 TD
Notes
- Finding the end zone now for the third time in four games to start the year, Michael Pittman Jr. seems to have the highest ceiling out of the Colts’ receiver group. He’s not as easily schemed open as Warren and Josh Downs as a lot of his routes are on the outside, and receives a couple deep shots per game so his output may be more sporadic. However, when targeted more in the second half, the Colts were moving the ball better than they had all game so they may look to target him more as the season goes on.
Missed Opportunities
- One pass tipped off his hands on a third-and-long in the third quarter that would’ve converted the first down and kept the drive going.
Tyler Warren: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 70 Yards | 2 Carries, 3 yards, 1 TD
Notes
- The Colts get creative in their ways to keep Tyler Warren involved. They had him take a snap out of the wildcat formation in a goal-line attempt. He was ultimately stopped short, but they still gave him another chance, lining him up at fullback and taking the handoff for the rushing touchdown. These opportunities along with his target share give him a solid floor as well as higher ceiling week to week.
Adonai Mitchell: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 96 Yards
Notes
- Targeted a couple times deep, one underthrown by Jones resulting in an interception, and the other he took down the field for what would have been a touchdown before letting go of the ball before crossing the goal line.
Josh Downs: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 24 Yards
Notes
- Josh Downs seems to have a solid floor of targets dialed up for him for easy completions out of the slot. I wouldn’t count on him if you’re looking for a high-potential ceiling play on any given week.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: 29/41, 275 Yards, 3 Touchdowns | 4 Carries, 4 Yards
Matthew Stafford continuing to do Matthew Stafford things late in games. While the offense struggled most of the game, they figured it out in the fourth quarter when it mattered most, and put in two touchdowns.
Notes
- The first half started off rough for Stafford. The Colts’ defense kept pressure on him much of the day, and they narrowly missed a couple of interceptions off the hands of Rams receivers. Kyren Williams did his best in pass protection to keep him upright, and the offense started to click as the final minutes of the first half were winding down. Puka Nacua continues to be incredible, catching a pass for a first down on a deep corner route then turning a screen on second-and-16 into a first down. Stafford then found Davante Adams for a touchdown in the red zone. After a fumble on a handoff to Kyren in the second half, the offense regrouped, and Stafford found Nacua for his first touchdown of the season on a fourth-and-2 play. With less than 2 minutes left in the game, Stafford connected with Tutu Atwell for an 88-yard touchdown to put the Rams on top.
Missed Opportunities
- The Rams attempted a QB sneak on fourth-and-1 early in the game in which Stafford was stuffed, resulting in a turnover.
- An overthrow to Tyler Higbee that would’ve had a chance to be taken for a touchdown as Higbee’s defender fell on the play. Later in the drive though, Stafford found Adams for the score
Running Back
Kyren Williams: 13 Carries, 77 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 17 yards
Kyren Williams was off the field for extended periods of time during the game, ceding touches to Blake Corum. While some may take this as cause for concern regarding usage, I don’t think it is much of an issue. It seems the Rams are trying to keep both runners fresh throughout the game as opposed to giving a massive chunk of the workload to a single back. Kyren is the superior pass protector, which will help keep his role, and he was the back on the field late in the game when they needed a score.
Notes
- Williams has very few negative plays. In a close split of 13 carries to Corum’s nine, Kyren was much more efficient (5.9 vs 2.3 YPC). He is also an absolute menace in pass protection which is an absolute must for a less-mobile quarterback like Stafford. The Rams also did not find themselves close to the goal line in their red-zone opportunities so it could be expected that Kyren’s goal-line opportunities increase considering he had 12 and 14 rushing touchdowns in 2023 and 2024, respectively, and only one so far this year.
Blake Corum: 9 Carries, 21 Yards | 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, -5 yards
Notes
- Blake Corum continues to see increased workload in this backfield. Despite some early miscues (the two targets Corum was unable to haul in were both drops) and inefficient running, the Rams kept him on the field and giving him opportunity. While he still has a low floor week to week, this increased opportunity may give him chances to find the endzone in any given game.
Missed Opportunities
- Two drops on targets out of the backfield in the first half nearly resulting in interceptions as they tipped up off his hands.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Puka Nacua: 15 Targets, 13 Receptions, 170 Yards, 1 TD
Is it time to start adding Puka Nacua to best receiver in the league discussions? He gets open out of the slot, on the outside, beating defenders down the field, he’s active in run blocking. His chemistry with Stafford continues to be incredible, and is the first read on nearly 50% of his targets (per PlayerProfiler).
Notes
- Nacua went to the locker room early in the second half, but emerged on the next drive without missing a beat. Stafford found him for completions on quick routes where Stafford is throwing the ball before Nacua is out of his break. Stafford found him down the field beating Xavien Howard on go routes and corner routes, and finally connected with him for a his first receiving touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter. Nacua continues to be the go-to guy and double-digit targets should be the expectation week to week.
Davante Adams: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 56 yards, 1 TD
Davante Adams is the clear No. 2 after Nacua in the passing offense, but his ability to get open in the end zone still makes him a solid play week to week. Stafford found him for an easy score before the end of the first half.
Notes
- With only seeing six targets, Adams went long stretches this game where you didn’t even notice him on the field. He was not targeted until late in the second quarter. This can be concerning for his usage although he did record three receptions on that drive, the last of which being a touchdown.