3 Bold Predictions for Colts vs. Rams Showdown

Once news broke that Alec Pierce entered concussion protocol on Monday, all signs pointed to Mitchell being named the third starting receiver against the Rams. The second-round pick out of the University of Texas has had few opportunities to shine in Steichen's offense, making Sunday's start all the more important.

Mitchell connected well with Jones throughout training camp, but the second-year receiver has only four catches for 41 yards this season. A couple of those catches showed off his elite footwork, but he just hasn't had the volume to have an explosive game.

The Rams' secondary allowed A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith to combine for 14 catches for 169 yards and two touchdowns last week. Mitchell could easily exploit some of the gaps he sees on film and haul in the first touchdown of his career.

2. Cornerback Charvarius Ward Brings Down His First Interception for the Colts

Ward has only played two games for the Colts thus far after dealing with a concussion that left him out of the team's Week 2 win against the Denver Broncos. That allowed fans to see what the secondary looks like without him, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

Bo Nix, who is rated as one of the worst quarterbacks in the league thus far by Pro Football Focus, threw for three first-half touchdowns against the Colts.

Ward's return against the Tennessee Titans last week proved vital as he held Calvin Ridley to only one catch for 27 yards. With a couple of passes defended under his belt, he'll surely look to bring down an interception against Matthew Stafford, who has thrown one in each of his last two games.

3. Edge Rusher Laiatu Latu Records His First Sack of the Season

We'll keep it simple and stick with a trio of firsts this weekend. Latu is graded as the top pass rusher in the league by PFF, but he has yet to record a single sack.

Similar to Ward, Latu was kept out of the Week 2 win against Denver due to a hamstring injury. Unlike Ward, he snagged his first interception for the Colts against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1.

Latu has shown that he understands Lou Anarumo's defensive scheme, and it's only a matter of time until he brings down a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. Latu recorded only four sacks in his rookie year, and Colts fans were hoping for signs of improvement in year two. In PFF's eyes, that's happened. But he still needs to put some sacks on the board to convince fans.

Colts vs. Rams will kick off at 4:05 p.m. at SoFi Stadium.