The Rams traveled to Indianapolis, and came back with a close win over the Colts, with a final score of 27-24. Today I’ll be breaking down the good, the bad, and the meh of the Rams road victory on Sunday.
Good
Cooper Kupp
Kupp torched the Colts’ secondary with 163 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s emerged as Stafford’s favorite target and as one of the best in the league this year. His chemistry with Stafford definitely shows as he was the most targeted Rams receiver. Kupp’s YAC ability has flashed over the past 2 games, drawing comparisons to George Kittle.
Matt Gay
Gay showed out against Indy and had a perfect day with 2 field goals and 3 extra points. He’s been great so far with no missed kicks. Gay will be needed next week as the Rams face a tough Buccaneers defense.
Red-Zone Defense
The Rams’ defense in the red zone was some of the best defense all day. They stopped the Colts from scoring a couple of times and made them settle for field goals. A sack from Leonard Floyd and an interception from Troy Reeder helped seal the deal in the red zone.
Bad
Other Pass-Catchers
All of the other Rams pass catchers not named Cooper Kupp didn’t show up on Sunday. Woods had a couple of drops and didn’t look like himself. Higbee and Van Jefferson only had 1 reception each. To truly compete this year, another pass catcher needs to step up.
Run defense
The run defense was not the best, as they allowed 109 total rushing yards from the Colts. Kenny Young got ejected mid-game so the thin linebacking corps got thinner. Ernest Jones shined in the pre-season, and I want to see what he can do starting in a real game.
Meh
Special Teams
The special teams unit was uninspiring to say the least. The botched snap by Orzech led to the Colts closing the gap and eventually taking the lead. On returns, Atwell only took a fair catch from a punt, while the kick returns were handled by Jake Funk. Funk did alright with the returns, and most importantly didn’t fumble. Hekker had an average game with his longest punt being 46 yards.
Run Game
The run game didn’t really get going against the Colts with 101 total yards. Henderson did get hurt mid-game with Michel coming in for him. Neither looked that impressive, and I don’t remember seeing a run longer than 15 yards. The run game next week will definitely have a hard task against a tough Bucs front 7. Hopefully, Henderson will be healthy for the rest of the season.
Overall Defense
The defense had a decent showing Sunday with 2 turnovers but gave up lots of yards. The D-Line seemed like it couldn’t get a sack against Wentz despite pressuring him many times. The secondary allowed almost 300 total receiving yards but did have a turnover. The defense needs to step up and contain a great Bucs offense next week that scored 48 points Sunday.
Overall, the Rams had a decent game and were able to barely squeak out a win. There were good and bad parts of the game, and they’ll have to clean it up before facing Brady and the Buccaneers at home.