The Indianapolis Colts met their match in Los Angeles, as they fell to the Rams 27-20 for their first loss of the season. Regardless of which team was on offense, the game played out like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. As the fourth quarter toiled away, something had to give, and Tutu Atwell’s 88 yard touchdown put the game on ice with under two minutes to play.
By and large, the Colts couldn’t get out of their own way in the one-possession defeat. While down by three in the second half, Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell hauled in a spectacular catch and spun past defenders on the way to a prospective touchdown. In what appeared to be an attempt to celebrate, Mitchell fumbled the ball out of the end zone moments before crossing the goal line.
Although Los Angeles punted on the ensuing drive, Mitchell left the stadium without what would have been his first NFL touchdown. Notably, the Colts lost by a touchdown, undoubtedly wishing they had that play back.
Beyond the fumble at the goal line, Daniel Jones threw his first interceptions of the season on the very first and very last offensive drives for the Colts. Additionally, the team racked up 11 penalties for 88 yards, advancing Rams drives and setting back their own.
It wasn’t just the Colts holding themselves back from victory. Los Angeles set forth a fantastic performance across the board in front of their home crowd. Matthew Stafford completed 29 of 41 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns. His primary target was unsurprisingly Puka Nacua, who hauled in 13 of his 15 targets for 170 yards and a touchdown. The next most targeted receiver was Davante Adams with six. Kyren Williams led the charge on the ground with 13 carries for 77 yards.
Indianapolis had no answer for Nacua, as the whole of the receiving corps made life easy for the aging Stafford. The Rams established a healthy run presence early in the game, and Stafford’s receivers collected plenty of yards after the catch and after contact.
Defensively, the Rams front seven proved to be terrifying. Los Angeles totaled two sacks, four tackles for a loss and seven hits on the quarterback. Additionally, the Colts were held to 85 yards on the ground. Downfield, Indianapolis receivers had significantly more difficulty creating space and separation. The opportunistic Rams secondary locked away the possible receivers of Jones, and swiftly capitalized on his mistakes by picking off two questionable throws.
Despite the successes of the home team in Los Angeles, Colts fans can come away from the loss with an array of positive takeaways. For one, rookie tight end Tyler Warren had a great day, catching five passes for 70 yards. Other notable statistics include Jonathan Taylor rushing 17 times for 76 yards and Daniel Jones connecting on 24 of 33 passes for 262 yards, a touchdown and a pair of interceptions.
The Indianapolis pass rush also had a field day inside SoFi Stadium, accumulating three sacks, four tackles for a loss and nine hits on the quarterback. The issues for the Colts defensively began in the secondary, as Stafford consistently was able to evade pressure by quickly throwing to receivers that created separation early in the down.
After the game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen spoke on the pass rush and the group’s consistent pressure on the quarterback.
“I thought those guys did a nice job up front,” Steichen said, “(DeForest) Buckner I thought did some really good things, (Laiatu) Latu, Kwity (Paye), Samson (Ebukam), I thought they did a good job.”
While there are positive takeaways that Indianapolis can walk away with, the Rams escaped with the victory in part because of their ability to outmatch the Colts in a particular subplot of the matchup. Coming into the game, these teams were top two in play-action usage rate in the NFL. Each team enjoys beginning drives with run plays, which set up their ability to effectively execute play-action as they methodically march down the field.
It was critical that each defense found success on first and second down, and they did. Both sides disrupted the rhythm of the opposing offense and forced their opponent to operate the offense in an uncomfortable manner. With their run games thoroughly stifled, offenses were forced to throw on critical passing downs while working to avoid a relentless pass rush. Stafford delivered strikes to receivers that swiftly created separation in those moments, which the Indianapolis offense struggled to match.
In the end, the trip to Los Angeles became a tough pill for the Colts to swallow in a variety of ways. From the lead not taken due to the Mitchell fumble, to defensive back Mekhi Blackmon stumbling and allowing Atwell to bring home the walk off touchdown, Indianapolis left opportunities to start the season 4-0 on the field.
In his postgame press conference, Steichen emphasized the great football played by the Rams, missed opportunities left on the field by the Colts and the sentiment that improvement starts with himself moving forward.
“I thought it was a back and forth battle,” Steichen said, “and obviously we’ve just got to find a way to win those at the end.”
Despite taking a loss, the high level of competition displayed by two visibly evenly matched teams validated the legitimacy of the Indianapolis Colts. While the strength of the Denver Broncos, and therefore the strength of schedule of the Colts through three weeks is in question, Los Angeles is undoubtedly a bona fide playoff caliber team and a quality opponent.
A veteran quarterback, talented receiving corps, terrifying front seven and overall quality roster was pushed to the limit by an Indianapolis Colts team that made more than one tragic mistake and took the field without Kenny Moore II or Alec Pierce. That statement alone indicates that the Colts are a real contender in the AFC.
The Rams host the 3-1 San Francisco 49ers next Thursday, while the Colts return to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on the 1-3 Las Vegas Raiders. The quest for a return to the top of the AFC South and a return to the postseason continues for the Colts, as for the first time this season they must bounce back from a defeat.
