The Colts defense, led by Zaire Franklin, is coming into its own as one of the top defenses in the league. From the zone scheme of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley to the elite front line led by tackle DeForest Buckner to the young and inexperienced secondary led by lonely veteran Kenny Moore II, this defense is plenty good enough to shock the league.
Going into the season, ESPN ranked the Colts as the worst AFC team and Vegas odds had the Colts winning 6 games this season. With already 2 wins in 3 weeks, one of which being against a playoff-contending team in the Baltimore Ravens, the Colts defense will face yet another contender in the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams are an intriguing offense as on paper, they are elite but in execution they lack fire power.
The Rams are coming off of a tough loss against the Bengals on Monday night and with a short week, they will go into Indianapolis to face the Colts high powered defense. Star WR Cooper Kupp is currently on IR for the Rams and is not set to return until at least week 5. With their top and most consistent offensive weapon out, this bodes well for the Colts. This being said, rookier WR Puka Nacua will be the #1 target for Stafford and he will be a weapon that this secondary will need to contain. Through 3 weeks, Nacua already has 30 receptions for over 300 yards. Along with him is 3rd year WR Tutu Atwell, who has 17 receptions for 246 yards and 1 TD. The one thing about both of these receivers is that they are averaging over 11 yards per catch.
This weekend, similar to the last, will be a test for this defense to see if it can continue to keep up with high-powered offenses. Yes, the Rams had a poor offensive performance against the Bengals, but we know what this team can do if a defense gives them an inch.
Led by veteran Matthew Stafford and offensive guru Sean McVay, the plan on defense should be all about pressure on Stafford and keeping everything in front. Do not get beat down the field. Based on how the Rams have played so far, the running game should not be much of a threat. The Los Angeles Rams rank 23rd in rushing yards and 28th in yards per attempt. Needless to say this team does not commit to the run and it’s hard to blame them when the offensive line struggles as much as it has. Through 3 weeks, Stafford has already been sacked 7 times.
By all accounts, this matchup could be a fairly good one for the Colts defense, especially with the absence of Cooper Kupp. This young secondary has already proven that they can hold their own and we know what to expect from the linebackers and defensive tackles.
The only thing left is for the offense to step up and it will not be an easy task against this fast Rams defense. The hope is that Anthony Richardson will be cleared for this weekend. He participated fully in practice on Wednesday but is still under concussion protocol. Whether Richardson is cleared to go or not, this game will again come down to the defense making plays and taking charge of this game.
The Lucky Colt 
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