Know the Enemy: Indianapolis Colts vs St. Louis Rams, Part Two

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On Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts will host the St. Louis Rams. Listed below, is the remainder of my conversation with Nathan Kearns, from Ramblin Fan.com.

Naptown’s Finest – What is your prediction for the Rams this season?

Ramblin Fan –  For this season? My only genuine hope is that this extreme young, inexperienced team continues to be competitive and progress. Obviously, with a below-average backup quarterback running the show, there is little hope that the St. Louis Rams will be able to claw their way into that last remaining NFC Wild Card slot. Finishing with a 6-11 or 7-9 record (i.e. three or four more wins) would certainly be viewed as a “victory” considering the circumstances. After that, the St. Louis Rams will have two (likely) Top 10 picks in the 2014 NFL Draft, have their franchise quarterback back, and have a fresh start heading into the 2014-2015 season.

NF –  What is your prediction for Sunday’s game?

RF –  Well, the Indianapolis Colts have been pretty successful against the NFC West thus far, having already beat the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the division. However, despite the “comeback” last week against the ailing Texans, Andrew Luck has looked shaky (at best) since losing Reggie Wayne in the fourth quarter of the game against Denver. The St. Louis Rams have been extremely successful against teams without a “true” No.1 wide receiver, especially if that receiving corps is paired with an average (or worse) running game.

The key matchups for this game will be:

T.Y. Hilton vs. Janoris Jenkins

Anthony Castonzo vs. Robert Quinn

Jake Long vs. Robert Mathis (and Co.)

Zac Stacy vs. Colts’ 13-ranked Run Defense

Whoever takes three out of those four will win the game on Sunday. This could be a perfect “trap game” for the Colts, and with Andrew Luck having trouble staying upright against the dominating St. Louis pass rush, the Rams could steal this one on the road. However, rationale thought always overtakes my desperate dreams, so I’ll take: Colts 24, Rams 13

I would like to thank Nathan for his time and input. You can read more from our discussion at Ramblin Fan.com, as well as Naptown’s Finest.com.