The Indianapolis Colts face the Los Angeles Rams in a heavyweight Week 4 clash — here are three hot takes.
, the Colts have raced to three straight wins to open the 2025 season. Colts head coach Shane Steichen has rewired his squad, giving Indy an early lead in the AFC South. Extremely efficient offensive play has been the most noticeable feature of the Colts' hot start, but this weekend's matchup against an elite Rams defense could force some overlooked players to make game-altering plays.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell catches a pass in the first quarter of the NFL Preseason Week 3 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. The Colts led 24-7 at halftime. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Once news broke that Alec Pierce entered concussion protocol on Monday, all signs pointed to Mitchell being named the third starting receiver against the Rams. The second-round pick out of the University of Texas has had few opportunities to shine in Steichen's offense, making Sunday's start all the more important. Mitchell connected well with Jones throughout training camp, but the second-year receiver has only four catches for 41 yards this season. A couple of those catches showed off his elite footwork, but he just hasn't had the volume to have an explosive game. The Rams' secondary allowed A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith to combine for 14 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns last week. Mitchell could easily exploit some of the gaps he sees on film and haul in the first touchdown of his career.Sep 7, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill runs against Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward during the second half at Lucas Oil Stadium. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Ward has only played two games for the Colts thus far after dealing with a concussion that left him out of the team's Week 2 win against the Denver Broncos. That allowed fans to see what the secondary looks like without him, and it wasn't a pretty sight.Ward's return against the Tennessee Titans last week proved vital as he held Calvin Ridley to only one catch for 27 yards. With a couple of passes defended under his belt, he'll surely look to bring down an interception against Matthew Stafford, who has thrown one in each of his last two games. Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu celebrates a win following a game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Colts defeated the Dolphins 33-8. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images We'll keep it simple and stick with a trio of firsts this weekend. Latu is graded as the top pass rusher in the league bySimilar to Ward, Latu was kept out of the Week 2 win against Denver due to a hamstring injury. Unlike Ward, he snagged his first interception for the Colts against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1. Latu has shown that he understands Lou Anarumo's defensive scheme, and it's only a matter of time until he brings down a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. Latu recorded only four sacks in his rookie year, and Colts fans were hoping for signs of improvement in year two. InSEAN ACKERMAN Sean Ackerman is the co-Deputy Editor of Indianapolis Colts on SI. Ackerman, a graduate of Western Kentucky University, majored in broadcasting. He's in his third year covering the NFL.
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