Colts: Rams hotel screwup in Indy better be sneaky advantage
By Adam Weinrib
While everyone’s focused on the critical matchup of Aaron Donald vs. Quenton Nelson, we’ve got our eyes on Los Angeles Rams vs. Uncomfortable Beds.
Because, you see, not everything the Rams’ traveling secretary planned was perfectly executed this week, and it turns out LA might be thrown off its game before Sunday gets underway.
You can thank the fine city of Indianapolis for the pre-kickoff problem, Colts fans.
Every franchise has a designated hotel in every road city, a place that makes them comfortable and is well-equipped to hold an oversized NFL roster comfortably. Every little thing helps in a foreign town. Every bit of routine matters.
But the Rams didn’t get to experience that this week. They had to pivot their hotel accommodations because of a board game convention that was organized before the NFL schedule dropped.
One of my favorite parts of my Saturday calls w/ NFL teams are the travel tales. The Rams aren’t in their usual Indy hotel tonight. Why?
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) September 18, 2021
Most the hotels were booked before schedule release because of GENCON — the annual BOARD GAME CONVENTION— being held in Indy this weekend!
The Indianapolis Colts are facing the Rams after a hotel mishap.
Even worse? Matthew Stafford was reportedly up all night at GENCON playing RISK with a group of Iowans. No sleep. Gotta conquer the Balkans.
But you didn’t hear that from us.
In the second of five consecutive matchups with playoff hopefuls, the 0-1 Colts can use every advantage possible, especially after they failed in all facets of the game in their opener against Seattle.
This week, they welcome LT Eric Fisher back to help out beside Nelson, and it’s fair to question whether Frank Reich is pulling the trigger a week or two early here out of necessity.
Big lift for Indy: #Colts LT Eric Fisher, whose recovery from a torn Achilles happened faster than anyone imagined, is expected to start Sunday vs. the #Rams, source said. The Pro Bowler debuts to protect Carson Wentz.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2021
Perhaps Wentz’s bigger “protection” is the possibility that the Rams’ pass rushers are a little sluggish this morning.
Probably, the Rams’ backup plan was … another luxury hotel. But we prefer to think it was an airport Marriott, maybe with a couple of bunk beds mixed in for good measure. Jalen Ramsey forcibly awoken by the whirr of the 5:32 AM flight to Dallas-Fort Worth. A chambermaid knocking on Cooper Kupp’s door at 6:12 because he forgot to turn the “Do Not Disturb” sign around.
A fan can dream. A fan can dream that the Rams were entirely unable to dream.
