The Los Angeles Rams handed the Indianapolis Colts their first defeat of the season, taking the lead on an 88-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Tutu Atwell late in the fourth quarter, and sealing the victory with a Kamren Curl interception for a 27-20 win.
Here are the winners and losers from the Colts first loss of the season.
Winner: Puka Nacua, WR Rams
Puka Nacua has established himself as one of the most productive wide receivers in the NFL. The third-year wide out has taken the torch from former Ram Cooper Kupp, becoming quarterback Matthew Stafford’s top target. Nacua does everything for the Rams, running short, intermediate and deep routes. He’s a capable blocker and he’s a physical runner, able to break tackles and pick up extra yards after contact. Nacua beat cornerback Xavien Howard late in the fourth quarter, catching a nine-yard touchdown, tying the game at 20 with 3 minutes, 20 seconds left in the game. He finished the day with 13 catches for 170 yards and one touchdown.
Winner: Rams defense
The Los Angeles Rams defense is the first unit to slow down the Colts high-powered offense. The Rams forced two three-and-outs after Indy had just one all season. The Rams forced Daniel Jones’ first two interceptions of the season, and their rush defense held star running back Jonathan Taylor to 96 total yards and no touchdowns. The Rams used pressure from their front four to disrupt Indy’s passing attack. Adonai Mitchell’s miscue changed the course of the game, but outside of his strong individual effort, the Rams did a great job slowing down the Colts’ big plays. Safety Kamren Curl sealed the win with an interception.
Winner: Tyler Warren, short yardage weapon, Colts
Colts rookie Tyler Warren is listed as a tight end on the team’s roster, but the former Penn State star is proving to be much more. In the second quarter, Warren lined up as a wildcat quarterback, taking a direct snap and getting stuffed for no gain. On the next play, Warren took a handoff as a fullback, converting the fourth-and-1 carry for a touchdown. Fullback, tight end, slot receiver, wherever Warren lines up, he’s going to make plays. Warren ended the game with five catches for 70 yards.
Loser: Adonai Mitchell, WR Colts
Mitchell came into Week 4 hoping to show the Colts’ coaches he was a player the team could trust. The second-year pass catcher struggled with consistency as a rookie, and Sunday’s play becomes another in a list of boneheaded mistakes by the former Texas star. What started as a spectacular play with Mitchell coming down with a contested catch, spinning away from a defender and sprinting untouched into the end zone ended in a touchback. Mitchell started celebrating the potential touchdown early, raising the ball in celebration before the goal line. The ball slipped out of Mitchell’s hand, turning a touchdown into a giveaway. Talent has never been an issue for Mitchell. Head coach Shane Stiechen said Mitchell’s a hard worker. But poor concentration and an inability to master the finer points of the position could prevent the former second-year pick from reaching his potential. Adding insult to injury, Mitchell got called for a holding penalty late in the fourth quarter, negating a 50-yard Jonathan Taylor touchdown run.
Loser: Lou Anarumo, Colts defensive coordinator
The Colts have a bend-but-don’t-break defense. They’re not great at rushing the passer, they’re not great at stuffing the run and they don’t have any shutdown corners. Needing a stop late in the game, the Colts let Rams receiver Tutu Atwell break wide open for an 88-yard touchdown. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon tripped on the play, allowing Atwell to get open, but the Colts only had 10 players on defense. That’s a huge coaching mistake but the Colts coaching staff. I’ll place the blame on Anarumo for now, because he called the coverage allowing Atwell to score.
Loser: Daniel Jones, Colts quarterback
Jones had been great through three weeks, and this loss is not his fault, but hints of the old Jones showed up in Los Angeles. Jones took two sacks, fumbled once and threw two interceptions. The Rams pressure confused Jones throughout the day. He had to force throws down the field with his team trailing and Mitchell cost the team two scores, but as the man with the ball in his hands the most, Jones has to play better if the Colts want to beat playoff-caliber teams.
Joel A. Erickson covers the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Winners and Losers from Colts’ first loss: Nacua dominates, Mitchell makes costly errors
Reporting by Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
