The Colts have made it a game in the fourth quarter against the Rams.
Anthony Richardson ran in a 1-yard touchdown to narrow Los Angeles’ lead to eight points at 23-15 with 11:45 left in the game.
Indianapolis was helped on their possession by a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty called on Russ Yeast that moved the club all the way up to the L.A. 19.
Richardson became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for four touchdowns in his first three starts.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is pretty clearly struggling with some soft of injury to his back or lower body, though the club has not announced anything. Stafford has not yet missed a play.
The Rams have been in control throughout the first half against the Colts and have a 20-0 lead at halftime.
Despite playing in Cincinnati on Monday night, flying back to Los Angeles, and then across the country to Indianapolis, the Rams got off to a fast start — going nine plays for a touchdown to open the game. The Colts kept L.A. on the field with an unnecessary roughness penalty for hitting quarterback Matthew Stafford out of bounds on third down. A couple of plays later, running back Kyren Williams took a 3-yard run into the end zone for a 7-0 lead.
The club kept it going with a 10-play, 94-yard drive on its second possession with Williams again going in for a 3-yard touchdown to make the score 14-0.
Brett Maher hit 40- and 54-yard field goals in the second quarter to put the Rams up 20-0.
The Colts had an opportunity to score late in the first half, advancing deep into L.A. territory. But receiver Michael Pittman had a false start on fourth-and-5 from the Los Angeles 24, which induced head coach Shane Steichen to settle for a 47-yard field goal.
But Matt Gay’s 47-yard attempt went wide right and was no good, keeping Indianapolis scoreless.
The Rams bled the rest of the clock out in the first half, but Brett Maher’s 46-yard attempt to end the second quarter was well wide left.
Stafford finished the first two quarters 14-of-18 for 185 yards. Williams had 17 carries for 76 yards. Rookie sensation Puka Nacua — who set a record for most receptions in his first four games with his first catch of the day — caught five passes for 98 yards.
On the other side, Anthony Richardson was 4-of-7 for 47 yards plus eight carries for 56 yards. But he had a fumble that led to a Rams field goal.
The Rams outgained the Colts 272-110 in the first half, recording 17 first downs to Indianapolis’ five.
Indianapolis will receive the second-half kickoff.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor can, and will, return to practice this week, after completing his four-game stint on the reserve/PUP list. The next question is whether and when he’ll play for the Colts, or someone else.
Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports that there are no trade offers on the table for Taylor.
That makes sense, because only the Packers and Dolphins had been seriously interested before the August 29 deadline came and went. As to both teams, the Colts reportedly wanted too much.
The Packers reportedly lost interest once the season began. The Dolphins have no reason to be interested, given the performance of De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert.
The trade window closes on October 31. Unless a contender loses a workhorse tailback, it’s hard to imagine the window opening for a trade.
Taylor’s best play at this point arguably would be to finish the season strong, and then to ask for a trade again after the season, if/when the Colts apply the franchise tag.
The only problems with this approach is that Taylor will still be making a low salary of $4.3 million this year, and that he’ll be risking injury with no security beyond 2023.
The Rams have taken an early 7-0 lead in Indianapolis with the help of their rookie receiver sensation.
Puka Nacua caught a pass over the middle on Los Angeles’ first play from scrimmage, giving him 31 catches in his first four games. That’s a new NFL record, which is a significant feat for a player selected in the fifth round out of BYU.
Nacua tipped the ball to himself over the middle to secure the catch. The rookie later made a 7-yard catch on the possession to give the Rams first-and-goal at the 3-yard line.
From there, running back Kyren Williams punched it in for a 3-yard touchdown.
The Colts kept the Rams’ opening possession alive when linebacker E.J. Speed hit Matthew Stafford late out of bounds. Instead of fourth-and-6, that hit gave Los Angeles’ offense a first down at the Indianapolis 29.
Every week we bring you all the inactives from the 1 p.m. ET games in one post, constantly updated with the latest information.
The Browns will not have quarterback Deshaun Watson on Sunday, but they will have tight end David Njoku.
Njoku was added to the injury report on Saturday after suffering burns to his hands and face in a fire pit accident and head coach Kevin Stefanski said that the team had to see if he could put a helmet on before deciding on his status. Njoku passed that test and got the green light to play against the Ravens.
Watson is out with the shoulder injury that limited him to just a few throws in practice this week. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson will make his first NFL start.
On the Ravens side, running back Justice Hill, center Tyler Linderbaum, and safety Kyle Hamilton are all active after being listed as questionable. Safety Marcus Williams was also in that group, but he is inactive.
Ravens at Browns
Ravens: WR Odell Beckham Jr., WR Rashod Bateman, T Ronnie Stanley, CB Marlon Humphrey, EDGE Odafe Oweh, S Marcus Williams, QB Josh Johnson
Browns: QB Deshaun Watson, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, CB Kahlef Hailassie, C Luke Wypler, DE Isaiah McGuire, DT Siaki Ika
Dolphins at Bills
Dolphins: QB Skylar Thompson, EDGE Jaelan Phillips, S DeShon Elliott, CB Eli Apple, C Connor Williams, TE Tyler Kroft
Bills: S Jordan Poyer, CB Kaiir Elam, T Germain Ifedi, OL Alec Anderson, DT Poona Ford
Broncos at Bears
Broncos: LB Frank Clark, C Alex Forsyth, LB Josey Jewell, OLB Ronnie Perkins, DT Mike Purcell, S Justin Simmons, S JL Skinner.
Bears: DB Eddie Jackson, DB Jaylon Johnson, QB Nathan Peterman, WR Chase Claypool, RB D’onta Foreman
Steelers at Texans
Steelers: QB Mason Rudolph, P Pressley Harvin, OL James Daniels, WR Gunner Olszewski, NT Breiden Fehoko
Texans: CB Tavierre Thomas, LB Denzel Perryman, QB Case Keenum, RB Dare Ogunbowale, OL Michael Deiter, T Josh Jones, T Laremy Tunsil
Vikings at Panthers
Vikings: S Lewis Cine, TE Nick Muse, C Garrett Bradbury, DL Khyiris Tonga, QB Jaren Hall
Panthers: RB Raheem Blackshear, WR Jonathan Mingo, S Xavier Woods, CB Sam Webb, LB Deion Jones, T David Sharpe
Rams at Colts
Rams: RB Zach Evans, OL Zach Thomas, OL Alaric Jackson, DL Earnest Brown
Colts: QB Sam Ehlinger, CB Darrell Baker Jr., DE Isaiah Land, LB Cameron McGrone, C Ryan Kelly, T Bernhard Raimann, TE Will Mallory
Buccaneers at Saints
Buccaneers: LB SirVocea Dennis, CB Jamel Dean, CB Derrek Pitts Jr., LB Markees Watts, OL Brandon Walton, TE Payne Durham, DL Calijah Kancey
Saints: QB Jake Luton, WR A.T. Perry, CB Paulson Adebo, DB Jordan Howden, OL Cesar Ruiz, TE Foster Moreau, DE Kyle Phillips
Commanders at Eagles
Commanders: RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., DE K.J. Henry, T Trent Scott, G Chris Paul, TE Curtis Hodges, WR Mitchell Tinsley
Eagles: WR Quez Watkins, QB Tanner McKee, S Sydney Brown, RB Rashaad Penny, S Justin Evans, OL Tyler Steen, DT Moro Ojomo
Bengals at Titans
Bengals: CB DJ Ivey, LB Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB Devin Harper, OL Trey Hill, OL Jackson Carman, TE Irv Smith
Titans: WR Treylon Burks, OL Peter Skoronski, LB Luke Gifford, DB Elijah Molden, OL Jaelyn Duncan, QB Will Levis
Running back Jonathan Taylor is eligible to start the process of returning from the physically unable to perform list this week and it looks like the team plans to move in that direction.
NFL Media reports that the Colts will open Taylor’s practice window this Wednesday. Once they do, Taylor will be able to practice with the team for three weeks before he must be activated or shut down for the season. He can be activated at any point in that window.
Taylor went on the list because of his ankle and he has posted workout videos showing him working out without issue recently.
Taylor asked for a trade after failing to get a new contract from the Colts this offseason and the Packers and Dolphins reportedly had interest, but neither team is believed to be pursuing a deal any longer and the Colts have reportedly not had any recent talks with any teams.
Getting Taylor on the field could change that ahead of the October 31 trade deadline and the news about this week’s plans makes that return a possibility.
This year, the NFL has begun announcing the fines imposed on players for on-field rules infractions. We’ll be posting separate items on fines of significance.
We’ll also be listing all of the fines here, by team, player, announced violation, and amount.
All fines are subject to appeal. It’s not known whether the NFL will update the weekly disclosure of imposed fines with information as to the outcome of the appeals.
Here are the Week 3 fines, covering 20 teams, 34 players, and 1.35 percent of all plays:
Falcons, Kaden Ellis, unnecessary roughness, $16,391.
Falcons, Keith Smith, unnecessary roughness, $87,418.
Bears, Jaquan Brisker, unnecessary roughness, $9,287.
Bears, Tyrique Stevenson, unnecessary roughness, $6,515.
Bengals, Cam Taylor-Britt, unnecessary roughness, $7,516.
Cowboys, Chuma Edoga, unnecessary roughness, $6,847.
Cowboys, Jonathan Hankins, unnecessary roughness, $7,319.
Broncos, Kareem Jackson, unnecessary roughness, $11,473.
Broncos, Drew Sanders, unnecessary roughness, $5,793.
Broncos, Patrick Surtain, unnecessary roughness, $11,473.
Lions, Alex Anzalone, unnecessary roughness, $13,922.
Lions, Brian Branch, unnecessary roughness, $8,103.
Lions, Brian Branch (second fine), unnecessary roughness, $8,103.
Packers, Rasul Douglas, unnecessary roughness, $11,473.
Packers, Ben Sims, unnecessary roughness, $4,167.
Texans, Jonathan Greenard, unnecessary roughness, $7,604.
Colts, Kwity Paye, unnecessary roughness, $10,927.
Chargers, Raheem Layne, unnecessary roughness, $4,870.
Chargers, Maxx Crosby, unnecessary roughness, $10.927.
Dolphins, Raheem Mostert, unnecessary roughness, $10,927.
Vikings, Harrison Smith, unnecessary roughness, $21,855.
Patriots, Jabrill Peppers, unnecessary roughness, $43,709.
Patriots, JuJu Smith-Schuster, unnecessary roughness, $16,391.
Saints, Tony Jones, unnecessary roughness, $5,222.
Giants, A’Shawn Robinson, unnecessary roughness, $11,473.
Giants, Jihad Ward, unnecessary roughness, $8,139.
Giants, Leonard Williams, a hit on a quarterback, $16,391.
Steelers, Kwon Alexander, unnecessary roughness, $43,709.
Steelers, Miles Killebrew, unnecessary roughness, $13,792.
49ers, Trent Williams, unnecessary roughness, $11,473.
Seahawks, Julian Love, unnecessary roughness, $21,833.
Seahawks, DK Metcalf, unnecessary roughness, $16,391.
Seahawks, Teez Tabor, unnecessary roughness, $6,000.
Titans, Arden Key, a hit on a quarterback, $43,710.
Receiver KJ Hamler is back.
Roughly two months announcing that he has pericarditis and being waived with a non-football illness by the Broncos, Hamler has joined the Colts’ practice squad.
The Colts announced the move on Saturday.
The Colts also elevated guard Ike Boettger and receiver Amari Rodgers to the active roster from the practice squad for Sunday’s home game against the Rams. Cornerback Darren Hall was released from the practice squad.
Hamler was a second-round pick of the Broncos in 2020. He had 381 receiving yards on 30 catches as a rookie. Last year, he appeared in only seven games, catching seven passes for 165 yards.
Colts kicker Matt Gay had a day for the ages on Sunday, kicking four field goals of 53 yards or longer — including the game-winner in overtime — as the Colts returned to the city from which they had secretly absconded nearly 40 years ago and stole a win.
Gay became the Colts kicker because the Rams opted not to re-sign their kicker for most of the past three seasons, including their kicker for a Super Bowl win. Instead, Gay signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract with Indy. Now, the Rams get to face him.
Coach Sean McVay was asked about that wrinkle on Friday.
“What do you mean by that question?” McVay initially said, laughing. “I’ll tell you what, Matt made a lot of those kicks for us and so I’m grateful for that. I don’t love having to play against a guy like that, but Brett [Maher] has done a nice job, like you said. We were fortunate that it worked out that we were able to get Brett. I think he’s done a really nice job, especially over the last couple weeks. I love the way that he responded, even in Seattle with some things that weren’t always within the framework of his control. But Matt Gay was an awesome player, great guy. I was so happy for him and his family to be able to get the recognition that he got when he was here and then also to be able to go earn that contract. It’s bittersweet but you’re happy for him because he meant so much to us and I love the person.”
And then McVay laughed again: “But what the hell kind of question is that?”
The Rams originally signed Gay from the Indianapolis practice squad during the 2020 season, after Kai Forbath suffered an injury. Gay ended up keeping the job.
At a position filled with far more competent players than the NFL requires, it’s tempting to never give any kicker — expect the very best of the very best — a big contract. There are too many other competent options available, anywhere and everywhere. The Rams, already stretched under the salary cap by the various contracts given to star players, did not have the desire or ability to pay Gay. The Colts did.
The Colts realized the benefit of having him on Sunday in Baltimore. They might see it again this week, especially if Gay has a kick or two that helps make the difference for his new team, against his old team.
UPDATED 9:59 a.m. ET: A prior version of this article incorrectly said that the Rams had acquired Gay with a fifth-round pick in 2019. He had been drafted by the Buccaneers that year, and he then signed with the Rams in 2020 after the Bucs added Ryan Succop. I apologize for the error. I could blame it on my lingering case of COVID, but the simple truth is that I had my head up my ass.
Anthony Richardson will be back at quarterback for the Colts on Sunday.
Richardson was knocked out of the team’s Week Two win over the Texans with a concussion and he missed last Sunday’s overtime win over the Ravens for the same reason. Head coach Shane Steichen said on Friday that Richardson has been cleared from the concussion protocol and will start against the Rams this weekend.
Gardner Minshew played quarterback in Richardson’s absence and will move back to the No. 2 role.
The Colts are unlikely to be at full strength on the offensive line in front of Richardson, however. Steichen said left tackle Bernhard Raimann went in the concussion protocol this week and that center Ryan Kelly remains in the protocol after missing Week Three.