Season primer, vol. 6: Indianapolis Colts versus St. Louis Rams at Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis

Indianapols Colts TE Dallas Clark
John Russell/AP Photo

Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser breaks down the Week 7 NFL matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams, which will be played Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo., Sunday at 1 p.m. . . .

THE VIBE . . .

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off their bye week, and they're very much not buying into the drum-roll-accompanied joke that it's hard to tell the difference between a bye and their opponent this week, the St. Louis Rams. But that's certainly the theme around Indianapolis this week -- the media's focus on the winless Rams and their slim-on-paper chances of beating one of the NFL's hottest teams and the Colts' expected insistence that the Rams not only have a chance Sunday, but are in fact a very good team despite their record. Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell began his Wednesday meeting with the media -- the week's tone-setting press conference -- with a long discussion of the Rams' many strengths. A followup question asked with a bit of levity, "Then why are the Rams 0-6?" Caldwell's response was no joke and it was that the Rams were indeed no joke. "You look at penalties and turnovers," Caldwell said. "Typically that makes a difference in the ball game. I can tell you this, they (Rams) keep getting better every week. You look at their game against Minnesota. They turned the ball over three times inside the 10-yard line. They left either nine or 21 points on the table. I don’t think you’ll see them do that very often. I just see them trending (up) and getting better and better. We’d better be ready to play when we walk into that stadium.” Colts QB Peyton Manning also spent a lot of time Wednesday discussing the Rams' strengths and how he doesn't consider a team's record when preparing for a team. If this seems like a familiar theme, it is. The Colts played winless Tennessee the week before an October 18 bye and talked throughout the week of the dangers of Tennessee, which were made more believable because the Titans won the AFC South a year ago. The Rams have lost 16 consecutive games and are at that learn-how-to-win-under-a-first-year coach stage. Teams at that stage historically don't fare well against the Colts in the Manning era.

THE BIG CONCERN . . .

The presence of Rams RB Steven Jackson. He's a big, powerful back in his prime and he's playing well even if the Rams at times are not. He's getting yards after contact, and the word from St. Louis is he reported this offseason in great shape and is playing like it. Some observers last week wondered about Jackson's lack of use late in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but when Jackson has touched the ball, he usually has been effective this season. Whenever the Colts play Jackson, it's tempting to think what could have been. When he slipped to No. 24 in the 2005 NFL Draft, he at one point appeared on the way to slipping to Indianapolis, who that season selected CB Marlin Jackson. The Colts really Steven Jackson that season and although Edgerrin James was still on the roster, they would have been very, very tempted to take him. The Colts have a couple of advantages against Jackson this Sunday. One is that they have been improved at stopping the run this season and when they pla, vey a one-dimensial opponent, they historically have been very, very good. Another is if they can get a lead, they may take away the Rams' ability to maximize their best player.

NEW FACE IN A NEW PLACE

DT Dan Muir will make his first NFL start this week, having replaced recently-released Ed Johnson in the starting lineup next to DT Antonio Johnson. The Colts released Johnson because his weight wasn't allowing him to play with the effort and speed Indianapolis requires of its defensive players, and when discussing Muir this week, that was Caldwell's focus. "Dan is a very hard worker," Caldwell said Thursday. "He’s a guy that pays attention to detail. He’s a scrapper in there. He’ll fight and give you everything he’s got. Dan is a guy that will run to the ball and hustle. Certainly, he’s strong enough to anchor down and hold his responsibilities and make plays in his gap. Those are the things that we expect of him. Those are the things we’ve seen from him in practice, and even when he’s been in ballgames, he’s been quite effective. . . .He’s certainly been a guy that has bought into what we’ve been selling." Johnson, from all accounts had not. Hence, Muir's ascension.

THIS WEEK'S LIST . . .

Colts strongest position groups . . ?

5) Wide receiver. Reggie Wayne is a three-time Pro Bowler headed for a fourth, and after that Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie have emerged as solid players. How strong is this group? Anthony Gonzalez has been out since the first half of the opener and the Colts are No. 3 in the NFL in total offense.

4) Defensive end. Dwight Freeney may never have played at a higher level, and his level is that of a four-time Pro Bower. Robert Mathis may be the best player in the NFL at making plays when big plays eare most needed. Raheem Brock isn't the pass-rusher the other two are -- who is? -- but he's a reliable veteran who has played at a high level for a long, long time.

3) Cornerback. How good have the corners been? Kelvin Hayden has missed three games and Marlin Jackson hasn't started -- in part because of his knees and in part because of rookie Jerraud Powers. Still, the Colts have allowed just two touchdown passes in five games. Apparently, allowing an NFL-record-for-fewest-touchdowns six last season was no fluke. Powers has the look of a long-time starter, and if Hayden's return from a hamstring injury is permament, they're a big-time tandem. If Jackson returns healthy in two weeks from his knee injuries, he makes nickel corner a strength. Then again, rookie Jacob Lacey already has done that. Veteran Tim Jennings draws criticism from fans and media, but he has a knack for making plays, too. The Colts have talented starters here, but they're deep, too.

2) Safety. Bob Sanders is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2007 Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year and the Colts have played big-time defense in his absence. Melvin Bullitt has played well enough that when Sanders returns -- which is possible this week -- the Colts are considering playing a three-safety package to get him on the field. Sanders this week said Bethea is playing at the level of a Pro Bowler, which Bethea was in 2007.

1) Quarterback. Manning three times has been the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player. So far this season, he's playing at the highest level of his 12 NFL seasons.

A FEW THOUGHTS . . .

. . . on the above list.

1) Running back is a glaring absence. Joseph Addai and Donald Brown have solidified that position in a big-time way this season.

2) The list also leaves out TE Dallas Clark, who almost certainly is headed for a Pro Bowl season if he remains healthy. He is on pace to set NFL records for receptions (102) and yards (1,290) by a tight end and even if he doesn't set either mark, he's playing at a rare level for his position. Good for him.

3) So, that's why the Colts' defense is playing so well. Three of the five positions listed were defense. For all the talk early in the season about aggressive schemes and new coordinators -- and yes, first-year coordinator Larry Coyer is making a difference -- the Colts are talented on defense and they're playing to that level.

WHY THE COLTS CAN WIN . . .

Because they're rested and ready. And because they're just more-talented than the Rams. The Rams are having trouble scoring this season, and as good as Jackson is, the Colts have been strong against the run in recent weeks. They are also historically good when the opposition's offense is one-dimensional. If the Rams can't score touchdowns early, the Colts should be able to score enough to let Freeney and Mathis focus on rushing the passer. That's one reason for the Colts' lopsided margins of victory thus far this season. They're a team set up for one-sided victories if they're playing well. Once the offense gets a lead, the pass rush can bemore effective and Freeney and Mathis have a tendency not only to get sacks, but to force turnovers that lead to more points. Every team wants to win big. Indianapolis has the makeup to do it more often than most,

WHY THE RAMS CAN WIN . . .

Well . . .

MATCHUPS TO WATCH . . .

1) Colts DE Dwight Freeney versus Rams LT Alex Barron. The Rams released LT Orlando Pace during the offseason and moved Barron -- a 2005 first-round selection -- from right tackle to left. Freeney, long one of the NFL's top pass rushers, has six sacks this season and has had a sack in each game. He and Pro Bowl DE Robert Mathis each made the Pro Bowl last season and each have a real chance to return.

2) Colts DTs Antonio Johnson and Dan Muir versus Rams C Jason Brown. Obviously, the Rams won't ask Brown to block each player, but the matchup on the interior will be key. St. Louis almost certainly will want to run and how the Colts play the run always is critical. It's even more intriguing this week with making his first career start after the release of DT Ed Johnson, who started the last four games before the bye.

3) Colts RT Ryan Diem versus Rams DE Leonard Little. Protecting QB Peyton Manning always is the priority, and while many teams put their premier pass rusher on the right side, the Rams have second-year veteran and former first-round selection Chris Long there. Little is a 12-year veteran who leads the Rams with four sacks and long has been one of the NFL's top playmaking defensive ends.

QUOTABLE . . .

I just don’t think about a team’s record when you play them. You study them, you study the x’s-and-o’s, you study the schemes, and you just try to go out there and beat those defenses and schemes. Whether they won last week, lost last week, is really kind of irrelevant. It’s what’s going to happen on this Sunday in St. Louis. That’s what we have to worry about.

--- Colts QB Peyton Manning

THE LAST WORD . . .

This is a tough game to see the Rams winning. Jackson is their best threat, and if the Colts can get a lead -- which seems very possible considering the early-season effectiveness of Manning -- they can take him out of the game and focus on pressuring QB Marc Bulger. It's never, ever wise to predict blowouts in the NFL, especially for a team on the road, but the Colts are historically very, very good out of conference, and with a first-year coach still implementing a lot of what needs implementing, Indianapolis is deservedly a heavy, heavy favorite.

*** A REVIEW OF COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S POST-BYE WEEK RADIO SHOW. PART ONE. HERE.

*** A REVIEW OF COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S POST-BYE WEEK RADIO SHOW. PART TWO. HERE.

*** THE TOP FIVE SEASONS OF COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING. HERE

*** WR PIERRE GARCON AMONG FIVE KEY EARLY-SEASON DEVELOPMENTS FOR 3-0 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS HERE ***

ED JOHNSON COVERAGE

* Ed Johnson release performance-based, Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell says. Here.

* Ed Johnson officially waived. Here.

* The ramifications of releasing Ed Johnson. Here.

* Ed Johnson reportedly released. Here.

MORE COLTS NEWS . . .

* S Bob Sanders more confident he will play Sunday. Here.

MAGNIFICENT SEVENS: WEEKLY COLTS THOUGHTS . . .