The Los Angeles Rams got back in the win column after putting together a come-from-behind effort to beat the Indianapolis Colts 27-20.
The Colts entered the contest undefeated, largely in part to a revamped offense featuring Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor. The Rams looked strong to start the day, taking a 13-10 lead into halftime before committing numerous penalties in the second half that killed multiple offensive drives.
The offensive line has been mediocre at best so far, though that’s partly due to injuries. For example, Steve Avila was forced to miss the past two games due to an ankle injury but was declared active against Indinapolis.
However, Justin Dedich surprisingly drew the start in place of Avila though head coach Sean McVay explained after the win that they wanted to give Avila more time to work his way back, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
Sean McVay said Steve Avila is still working his way back, so they felt starting Justin Dedich was the best approach. Said Avila will still be a big part of what they do.
— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) September 28, 2025
From the sound of it, McVay still plans to start Avila at some point though Dedich has held up well in his absence. While Dedich isn’t a household name, he’s been a valuable depth piece along the interior and did OK filling in against Indianapolis.
It’s fair to wonder how long McVay and the coaching staff will continue with the current offensive line set up, especially because the Rams play on Thursday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. Perhaps sitting out against the Colts boosts Avila’s chances to suit up against the 49ers, but he’ll need to prove he’s fully healthy first.
For the time being, Los Angeles should be happy with its ability to exorcise some fourth quarter demons considering their disastrous close in Week 3 to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Rams interior linemen got abused in pass protection, so it was good to see the group hold up better against the Colts’ pass rush.
Colts’ Daniel Jones and Shane Steichen praise Rams’ Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford is well-known for being able to lead a comeback effort, and he did just that against the Colts. Stafford’s 88-yard touchdown strike to Tutu Atwell wound up being the game-winning score, another positive sign that Stafford’s still got it.
There’s a lot of respect for Stafford around the league, with Daniel Jones and Shane Steichen praising him before their Week 4 matchup.
