Week 2 Preview: Indianapolis Colts vs. Los Angeles Rams

This is going to be a fun one as the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams square off in a highly anticipated Week 2 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium. Quenton Nelson vs. Aaron Donald is the headliner one-on-one matchup, but both teams are fairly even if the Colts can win the line of scrimmage battle on both sides of the football.

Without further ado, let’s dive into our preview going over this matchup between the Colts and Rams.

Rams

This Rams team looks like a juggernaut as one of the best in the NFC. Matthew Stafford fits Sean McVay’s offense like a glove, while the defense we all know is elite headlined by superstars Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.

The big difference to why LA feels like a true Super Bowl threat is the upgrade from Jared Goff to Stafford. Thanks to his big arm and veteran moxie, Stafford vaults the Rams’ offense to levels McVay has never experienced before as head coach. Like we saw last week with Seattle, expect the Rams to test this Colts secondary consistently.

Darrell Henderson is the Rams’ x-factor. For Seattle, Chris Carson was able to establish the run rather easily, which opened up their offense completely. If the Rams can get Henderson going, plus Stafford has an efficient outing, it could be a very long day for the Colts trying to stop LA’s high-powered attack.

Colts

Jonathan Taylor needs a huge performance. The Colts offensive line was bullied by Seattle last week, and they need a rebound against an even tougher front seven in LA. If Taylor and Indy’s o-line can control the line of scrimmage, it will go a long way in deciding whether this game maintains competitiveness throughout. Having left tackle Eric Fisher making his season debut is a huge boost for that possibility.

Carson Wentz just needs to do exactly what he did last week — keeping the ball out of harms way and making the smart read. If the offensive line can give Wentz more time, he should be able to move the ball down the field on this Rams defense to form a balanced rhythm offensively.

Indy’s x-factor is the defensive line. As we saw last year against the Detroit Lions, Stafford struggled immensely against pressure. If DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye and Kemoko Turay can consistently win their one-on-one matchups, Indy has a fighting shot to pull off the upset at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Prediction

I hope for entertainment’s sake this is a close finish, but it feels like both teams are in a different spot right now. Stafford looks like a perfect fit within McVay’s offense, while Donald and Ramsey will make their impact plays on a few occasions. Meanwhile, the Colts are already ravaged by injuries somehow.

The spread for this game is 4 points in favor of the Rams, and I think I’ll hit that right on the money with my prediction. Knowing how the Colts play, typically bouncing back after a bad performance, this should be rather close throughout. However, will Carson Wentz get a chance at the end of the game to win it?

Rams 24, Colts 20