Indianapolis Colts vs. Los Angeles Rams Preview & Prediction | PFF

Indianapolis Colts vs. Los Angeles Rams Preview & Prediction | PFF

The Indianapolis Colts traveling to LA to take on the Los Angeles Rams. I think this is a very fun game because uh the Rams are red hot as a team right now. They’re not undefeated, but I feel like they are firing on all cylinders. They are going up against a team that is undefeated that has one of the highest EPA per play averages in the NFL. Can’t remember if they are number one, but if they are not, they are right there for how good this offense has been and how efficient it has been through three weeks. This is a fun matchup. I don’t think a lot of people would have said that, you know, four weeks ago before the season gets kicked off. But I am really looking forward to this game. Dalton, where are we starting with this one? You want to start with the Rams, the Colts? Look, I think the idea is when you’re playing the Rams, you better disrupt Matthew Stafford in the pocket or he’s just going to tee off on you. He’s throwing the ball as well as anybody right now. And he’s he’s got the quickest average time to throw. So, knowing that his offensive line has not been very good so far this year, he is speeding up his process more than he ever has. And in a clean pocket, he is just throwing the ball just lights out. 91.6 passing grade, 9% big-time throw rate is fantastic. And then again, you see that last number, the pockets aren’t clean because of the pass protection. They’re clean because of his processing and his quick decisionmaking. Matthew Stafford is completely in control right now. Puka Nua looks great. Devonte Adams looks great. I think Nua could be in line for a huge game if the Colts don’t get any pressure because of all the zone coverage Luano puts together. You can kind of see when you get heavier zone coverage teams, it’s going to be a Nua day. When you get heavy man coverage teams, it’s going to be an Adams day. Not that Nua won’t get his still, but those are the times when Dvonte Adams will get it. I think it’s a huge Nua day. I think Stafford, if the Colts don’t get any pressure, and they really haven’t been can have a good day. The Colts are bottom seven in pretty much every pass rush metric that we have. They have the fourth lowest pass rushing grade. So they need Leatu, Latu, DeForest Buckner, those guys up front to dominate and find a pass rush cuz if Stafford is clean back there, he’s going to tear them apart. I’m looking at the Rams defense versus the Colts offense. Rams are sixth right now through three games in run defense grade as a team at a 75.2. They had an 81.3 run defense grade last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. So that their best competition when it came to defending the ground game. And so they they played very well against the Eagles in an area where they really want to first and foremost try to set everything up up up front and in the run game and on the ground. Rams are pretty damn good at defending it. Now on the flip side here, what makes this matchup interesting is Jonathan Taylor’s been fantastic all year. He might be the front runner for offensive player of the year. Now, at this point, the way that he has been playing through three weeks, it has allowed the Colts to see only nine drop backs of third and seven or more. Nine drop backs in three games of third and seven or more. That is, as you would expect, the least amount in the NFL. Now, when you look at Daniel Jones on those passes, who Daniel Jones has been very good on third down. I think he’s been good on the money downs. I think he has been clutch in a lot of his passes, but a lot of those have also come with a shorter distance to the sticks. So, when you look at those nine dropbacks of third and seven or more, they are 21st in the NFL and 22nd in the NFL at EPA per play and passing grade on those drop backs. So, Daniel Jones has been good. But Dalton, I think in this game he is going to see more dropbacks of third and long than he has the entire season. Maybe he might see more in this game. Well, I don’t think it’s going to happen, but he’s going to see a higher percentage in this game in my opinion than he has in any game that he has so far this year with them being 3 and 0. So, it’s just going to be a different challenge, a higher challenge for Daniel Jones. They’re going to have to ask him to beat to to beat the Rams with his arm more than I think some of these other opponents have challenged them to do so up to this point in the season. So, that is, I think, a big time match up. If the Rams are able to neutralize Jonathan Taylor a little bit more, put the Colts behind the sticks and have those longer third and down distances. Can Daniel Jones remain as effective? Can he still be that type of quarterback in this game? I think the Rams win this one 28 to 17. I got a lot of faith in the Rams. I I think that this is a fantastic football team. Could have very well gone into Philly and beat him last week if not for the block kicks that we saw. Um, I’m still a big time Rams believer, so I’ll go 2817 is my final score here. Yeah, I agree. I think we got a really good football game here. I have the Rams, too. But 27 to 21, I I don’t think there’s any reason after this game, if the Rams win, that we’re going to have any ill will towards the Colts. I just think you’re talking about a tough road game against a really good team, a really good quarterback in Matthew Stafford. The Colts pass rush does concern me, or I should say the lack thereof. Although they do, they’re against a Rams offensive line that’s been struggling to pass protect, but it’s really going to be about Stafford getting rid of the ball quickly. And on the other side, I think it’s just a credit to the Colts. And you know, like I mentioned on the Monday show, they are tied for the fewest negative plays in football. They keep themselves in those good down and distance situations. I think the fun matchup really is on the interior in their run defense with the Colts offensive line against Puna Ford and Braden Fisk in this run defense. Both of them over a 77 run defense grade. If the Colts can run the football, if they can have balance and put themselves in good down in distance and hold on to that time of possession, I think they’re going to be really solid in this game and have a chance to win. You’re right. You don’t want to be in third and eight, third and nine against this Rams defense in this pass rush. Yeah, it’s a tough sled.

PFF’s Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema preview the matchup between The Indianapolis Colts and The Los Angeles Rams.

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