Khalil Mack unspooled his elbow wrap and removed his brace as he spoke to reporters Thursday for the first time since sustaining his injury last month. Does Mack, the Chargers’ star outside linebacker, believe he can play Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts?
“For sure,” he said.
That will ultimately be up to general manager Joe Hortiz and coach Jim Harbaugh, Mack said. The 34-year-old, in his fourth season with the Chargers, said he’s “slightly ready to go” if his number is called upon, just days after his 21-day activation window opened Tuesday.
Mack was listed as questionable Friday, along with wide receiver Derius Davis, linebacker Troy Dye, offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer and linebacker Denzel Perryman. Running back Hassan Haskins also was listed as questionable after practicing all week.
Offensive tackle Joe Alt (ankle) was listed as doubtful for Sunday. Alt practiced Thursday and Friday.
“I’m not going to say I can or can’t,” Alt said Wednesday when asked whether he’d play. “We’re just going to continue to progress and see where it means for me going forward.”
Defensive back Elijah Molden (thumb) did not practice all week and was also listed as doubtful. Wide receiver Quentin Johnston (hamstring) is set to play after missing last week’s win over the Miami Dolphins.
After signing a one-year, $10-million contract, he seemed to be virtually ignored while playing in the shadow of stars Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Atwell went into Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts with only one target in each of the first three games.
He got two targets against the Colts.
But the speedy Atwell made one count.
With less than two minutes left, he broke free, caught a midrange pass from Matthew Stafford and turned it into an 88-yard touchdown that gave the Rams a 27-20 victory before 71,257 at SoFi Stadium.
“Throughout this season, I’m mentally ready for a game like this.” Atwell said. “Just wait for my number, because it’s something I’ve been doing the whole year, all these years that I’ve been here.”
Stafford also tossed touchdown passes to Nacua and Adams, and Kam Curl intercepted two passes as the Rams improved their record to 3-1 and rebounded from their heart-wrenching defeat by the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles.
So, not a bad start.
The Rams are far from perfect, or even consistently dominant in any phase.
But nearly a quarter of the way into the season, the Rams still look like the Super Bowl contender they were built to be.
Rams coach Sean McVay celebrates with wide receiver Tutu Atwell after his 88-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter against the Colts.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
The Rams don’t have much time to marinate in the victory: the rival San Francisco 49ers are coming to town on Thursday night.
But coach Sean McVay and his players should be feeling confident, if not overly so.
For the second game in a row, Stafford missed on some passes he typically completes. But he was outstanding during a trademark two-minute drill that ended with a touchdown pass to Adams at the end of the first half, during a fourth-quarter drive that Nacua finished with a fourth-down touchdown catch and on his perfect throw to a wide-open Atwell.
Nacua caught 13 passes for 170 yards, and became only the third player in NFL history to have at least eight catches in each of the first four games.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua celebrates after scoring a touchdown to tie the score in the fourth quarter against the Colts.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
General manager Les Snead’s offseason effort to bolster the run defense continues to pay early dividends.
A week after neutralizing Eagles star Saquon Barkley, the Rams limited Jonathan Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher, to 76 yards rushing in 17 carries.
They also forced quarterback Daniel Jones into his first turnovers of the season.
After having two consecutive field-goal attempts blocked by the Eagles — including a potential game-winner that the Eagles returned for a touchdown — Joshua Karty kicked two field goals against the Colts. And punter Ethan Evans boomed long punts that forced the Colts to start drives deep in their territory.
The Rams led 13-10 at halftime after Stafford engineered a patented two-minute drive that covered 96 yards and ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Adams.
Stafford had misfired on a few passes, and also had a few bounce off the hands of receivers, before he found Adams, Nacua and tight end Tyler Higbee on consecutive plays to move the ball to the 21-yard line.
The Rams have struggled to score touchdowns from inside the 20, and it looked like it might be a repeat when Stafford was sacked on first-and-goal from the 10. But this time Stafford finished the deal with a laser pass to Adams.
That momentum, or at least the breaks, continued early in the second half.
Colts receiver Adonai Mitchell caught a pass and seemingly was on his way to turning it into a 76-yard touchdown. But Mitchell lost the ball at the one-yard line and it bounced through the end zone for a touchback that gave the Rams the ball.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell fumbles the ball into the end zone during the third quarter.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams, however, failed to capitalize, and fell behind 17-13 early in the fourth quarter after Jones engineered a long drive that ended with a short touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr.
Stafford did not get much of an opportunity to direct a come-from-behind scoring drive.
On the first play of the ensuing possession, Stafford and Williams could not complete a handoff and the ball fell to the turf for a fumble that was recovered by the Colts.
With about nine minutes left, the Colts kicked a field goal to increase their lead to 20-13.
Despite two penalties that stunted their drive, Stafford finished an 83-yard march with a fourth- down touchdown pass to Nacua that tied the score with 3:20 left.
Taylor broke off a run for an apparent 53-yard touchdown, but a holding penalty nullified the play. Two plays later, Jared Verse sacked Jones and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Colts at their 29-yard line.
The Rams got the ball with 1:44 left, and on their first play, Stafford passed to Atwell for the touchdown.
Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell trots into the end zone ahead of Colts defensive back Camryn Bynum on an 88-yard reception in the fourth quarter.
Another week, another big-name running back across the field on the opponent’s sideline.
Rams running back Kyren Williams acknowledged the well-deserved attention Saquon Barkley received last week before the Rams played the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field.
Now Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL’s leading rusher, is coming to SoFi Stadium.
Williams said a “competitive mindset” drives him when high-profile backs are in the building.
“I know how people look at those guys,” Williams said, “and so it’s like, ‘Bro, you better look at me the same way.’ I love it.”
Williams, who signed a $23-million extension before the season, and second-year pro Blake Corum are providing the Rams with the backfield balance coach Sean McVay envisioned as the Rams built a team regarded as a Super Bowl contender.
Last season, the 5-foot-9, 207-pound Williams carried the ball 316 times. Only Barkley (345 carries) and Derrick Henry (325) of the Baltimore Ravens had more. The Rams averaged 103.8 yards rushing per game, which ranked 24th among 32 teams.
Through three games, the Rams are ranked ninth, averaging 127 yards rushing per game.
Williams, a fourth-year pro, has rushed for 226 yards and a touchdown in 55 carries (4.1 yards per carry). He also has five receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Rams running back Kyren Williams celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Houston Texans on Sept. 7.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Corum has rushed for 99 yards and a touchdown in 14 carries (7.1 yards per carry). He has one catch for 14 yards.
“Those two play off each other really well,” McVay said, adding, “We feel really good about where both of those guys are at, and continue to lean into it and look for a good balance of being able to keep Kyren feeling good throughout it and take advantage of Blake’s skill set.”
McVay has said that ideally he would like to see Williams get 65% of the carries, Corum 35%. But the flow of the game dictates whether that plays out.
After Williams carried the ball 18 times, and Corum only once, in the opener against the Houston Texans, the duo provided more balanced production in the next two games.
“It was a good one-two punch,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.
That is what McVay and general manager Les Snead aimed for after Williams carried a combined 544 times in the previous two seasons.
“We’ve got it kind of dialed into where, like, we’re able to feed off each other,” Williams said of he and Corum. “It’s like friendly competition as well. I go out and make a play, now Blake is going to come in and make a play.
“It allows me to stay fresh throughout the whole game. So it doesn’t feel like I just took 50 carries and it’s only the second quarter. To me it’s a great system.”
Rams running back Blake Corum carries the ball during a preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys in August.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Corum, a 2024 third-round draft pick from Michigan, is enjoying the expanded opportunity after getting only 58 carries last season.
“It’s been great getting my feet under me, being able to just go out there and play free and fast,” he said. “Kyren and I are feeding off each other, so it’s been phenomenal.”
Against the Eagles, Williams bested Barkley, who was limited to 46 yards rushing in 18 carries.
Taylor, the 2021 NFL rushing champion, arrives Sunday averaging 112.7 yards rushing per game. Last week, he gained 102 yards and scored three touchdowns in 17 carries against the Tennessee Titans.
After each of the last two games, Taylor was named AFC offensive player of the week.
Both Williams and Corum aim to continue their production, and to break free for long gains. This season, each of their longest runs has been 15 yards.
“I know I’m capable to create not those 15-yard runs but those 40- and 50-yard runs,” Corum said. “Just need to keep working in practice to hopefully go out and show that on Sundays.”
Now the Rams face something else completely unexpected: The unbeaten Indianapolis Colts.
When the schedule was announced last spring, the Colts looked like a relatively easy matchup for the Rams sandwiched between games against the Eagles and a Thursday night game against the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers.
But energized by quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Jonathan Taylor, the Colts will arrive at SoFi Stadium with one of the NFL’s top offenses and an unblemished record after victories over the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans.
Jones, 28, has been the biggest surprise.
After six seasons with the New York Giants and a short stint late last season with the Minnesota Vikings, Jones has been outstanding for the Colts.
He has passed for three touchdowns, with no interceptions, and has rushed for three touchdowns.
“Going from the Giants, where he did well for certain years and then kind of fell off and then came back,” Rams safety Quentin Lake said. “You’re looking at a quarterback that has nothing to lose because people already wrote him off.”
“When you go from tough challenge to tough challenge, from the Eagles to a team that is red-hot… you can still keep your intensity rather than going into a game where it’s like a team coming in 0-3 or 1-2,” Lake said.
INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Irsay, the Indianapolis Colts’ owner who leveraged the popularity of Peyton Manning into a new stadium and a Super Bowl title, died Wednesday at age 65.
Pete Ward, Irsay’s longtime right-hand man and the team’s chief operating officer, made the announcement in a statement from the team. He said Irsay died peacefully in his sleep.
“Jim’s dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed,” Ward said. “Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson, and his entire family as we grieve with them.”
Irsay had a profound impact on the franchise.
With Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian, Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and Manning, Irsay helped turn the Colts from a laughingstock into a perennial title contender.
He also collected guitars, befriended musicians and often found inspiration in rock ’n’ roll lyrics.
A drum set played by Ringo Starr of the Beatles is part of the Jim Irsay Collection of rock ‘n’ roll artifacts that was on a national tour.
(Courtesy of Jim Irsay Collection)
Irsay had battled health problems in recent years and became less visible following a fall at his home. Police officers from Carmel, Ind., a northern suburb of Indianapolis, responded to a 911 call from Irsay’s home Dec. 8. According to the police report, the officers found Irsay breathing but unresponsive and with a bluish skin tone.
Ward, the report said, told officers that he was worried Irsay was suffering from congestive heart failure and that Irsay’s nurse had said Irsay’s oxygen level was low, his breathing was labored and he was “mostly” unconscious.
A month later, he was diagnosed with a respiratory illness.
During his annual training camp news conference last summer, Irsay told reporters he was continuing to rehab from two surgeries — though he remained seated in his golf cart. Irsay did not speak during the recent NFL draft as he typically did.
He had also battled addictions to alcohol and painkillers.
Irsay began his football life as a ball boy after his late father, Robert, acquired the team in a trade with the late Carroll Rosenbloom, who took over the Los Angeles Rams. The younger Irsay then worked his way up, becoming the youngest general manager in NFL history at age 24. He succeeded his father as owner in early 1997.
INDIANAPOLIS Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay has died at the age of 65, the team has confirmed.
The franchise said Irsay “passed away peacefully in his sleep” on Wednesday afternoon.
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Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has passed away at 65Credit: Getty Images – Getty
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The Colts owner and CEO died ‘peacefully in his sleep’Credit: Getty
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A tribute post by the Indianapolis Colts was shared on social mediaCredit: X
Details surrounding his death have not yet been released, though he had been battling various health issues in recent years.
Irsay took control of the Colts in 1997 following the death of his father, Robert Irsay, who bought the team in 1972 for $12 million.
“We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this afternoon,” the Colts said in a statement.
“Jim’s dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed.”
“Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson, and his entire family as we grieve with them.”
Irsay’s career with the team began decades earlier when he worked in every department before becoming the NFL’s youngest general manager in 1984, just as the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis.
After assuming full ownership in the late 90s, he helped guide the team to its first Super Bowl title in Indianapolis and oversaw a string of division championships.
“Jim’s love and appreciation for the NFL in addition to its history, tradition, and principles influenced him to become a steward of the game throughout his 50-plus years in the League,” the statement continued.
He was also known for his philanthropy and passion for music.
“He made philanthropy a daily endeavor. He never hesitated to help countless organizations and individuals live better lives.
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“Music was one of Jim’s passions and the ability to share his band and collection with millions of people across the world brought him tremendous joy. ”
“Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place and that philosophy never wavered.”
“Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization, and fans everywhere, but we remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit.”
“NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “We were deeply saddened to learn of Jim Irsay’s passing today.
“Jim was a friend, and a man deeply committed to his family, the game, the Colts, and the Indianapolis community.
“On behalf of the entire NFL, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Jim’s daughters and their families, and to his many friends throughout the NFL.”
Irsay was arrested in 2014 for driving under the influence, a charge he later claimed stemmed from being singled out as “a rich, white billionaire.”
He maintained that a recent hip surgery—not alcohol—was the reason he failed the field sobriety test.
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