Both the Los Angeles Rams and the Indianapolis Colts entered the 2021 NFL season with new quarterbacks operating the offense. While Matthew Stafford shined bright in his debut with the Rams, Carson Wentz and the Colts were extremely flat in Week 1. The two will square off in Week 2 when Los Angeles travels to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Entering the showdown on Sunday, the Rams are currently favored to defeat the Colts in Week 2. Some people may believe Indianapolis bounces back following their loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but I am not one of those people.
With that in mind, here are five reasons why the Rams will beat the Colts in Week 2.
Matthew Stafford Looks Comfortable With The Rams Already
Everyone was anxious to see what Stafford would do on a team like the Rams, having played for a losing franchise like the Detroit Lions. After a quick long touchdown pass to Van Jefferson in the first quarter of his debut on Sunday Night Football, it was evident that Stafford was comfortable in Sean McVay’s offense.
Stafford proceeded to play nearly perfect as he completed 20 of his 26 attempts for 326 yards and three touchdowns. The scary part is that there is still room for improvement for Stafford and the offense of the Rams moving forward, beginning in Week 2 versus the Colts.
Carson Wentz Does Not Look Comfortable With The Colts
While Stafford received praise for his performance with the Rams, the same can’t be said for Wentz. By looking at the box score, you would think that Wentz had a great game against the Seahawks. However, despite throwing 251 yards and two touchdowns, he missed some easy throws and refused to target his wide receivers down the field.
Being unable to take advantage of a weak secondary like Seattle is a less-than-ideal start for Wentz. It doesn’t get any easier for Wentz as he faces a talented secondary in the Rams that is led by Jalen Ramsey.
Rams Have The Defense To Make Colts One-Dimensional
Speaking of Ramsey, outside of the run defense versus the Chicago Bears, the defense of the Rams looks poised for another stellar season. Aaron Donald looked dominant once again and there were other guys who chipped in to hold Chicago to 14 points despite passing midfield on each of their seven possessions.
With the offense of the Rams capable of scoring points in bunches, their defense can make opposing teams one-dimensional by daring teams to run. When you’re playing from behind with an uncertain version of Wentz, things could get dicey in Week 2.
Colts Don’t Have The Personnel To Contain All Of The Weapons The Rams Possess
There’s no doubt that the Colts have talented players on their defense like DeForest Buckner, Darius Leonard, Xavier Rhodes, Kenny Moore, and Julian Blackmon. However, they won’t have enough manpower to slow down the offense of the Rams.
We saw the Seahawks have no trouble moving the ball on the Colts in Week 1 and I don’t believe the Rams will have much trouble either. Even though Indianapolis has high expectations in 2021, they are in danger of starting 0-2 to begin the season.
Indianapolis Showed They Are Capable Of Surrendering Big Plays Through The Air
To piggyback off of my previous point, it’s even worse for the Colts due to them giving up big plays in Week 1. Russell Wilson was airing it out with ease against Indianapolis as he completed four passes that gained 20+ yards, including a 69-yard touchdown on a second-down-and-twenty.
With Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf running wild in the secondary of the Colts, that’s good news for Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, and the other pass-catchers for the Rams with an aggressive quarterback like Stafford. We could see more chunk plays that lead to the demise of the Colts for the second straight week.
