Colts' Best and Worst Showings in Rams Blunder

Defeat can't feel much worse for the Indianapolis Colts after they blew a second-half lead in unbelievable fashion against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday evening.

The Colts repeatedly shot themselves in the foot, from three turnovers to costly penalties that wiped away scoring opportunities. Besides those errors, the Colts kept themselves neck-and-neck with one of the toughest, most experienced teams in football on the road.

Pro Football Focus analysts have already graded every Colts player who touched the field, so here are the five highest and five lowest grades from Sunday's action (minimum 10 snaps), starting with the lowest.

Lowest | Linebacker Joe Bachie - 29.0 Overall Grade

The Colts signed Bachie in May after the team let former starting linebacker E.J. Speed walk in free agency. Bachie played four years for the Cincinnati Bengals under current Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, hence why the Colts signed him.

He finished with five total tackles, a 29.1 coverage grade, a 57.9 run defense grade, and a 43.2 tackling grade.

2nd Lowest | Linebacker Austin Ajiake - 30.6 Overall grade

Ajiake is the second-lowest graded Colts player after playing 19 snaps on Sunday. He was recently elevated to the 53-man roster, but could be heading back down if the Colts choose to activate Jaylon Carlies off IR.

Ajiake had a 30.0 coverage grade and a 60.1 run defense grade.

3rd Lowest | Guard Dalton Tucker - 32.5 Overall Grade

Tucker filled in for starting right guard Matt Goncalves, who is dealing with a toe injury that kept him out for three consecutive practices last week.

Tucker had an abysmal 7.9 pass blocking grade. He struggled against some of the Rams' top pass rushers, including Jared Verse and Byron Young, who combined for two sacks.

4th Lowest | Cornerback Xavien Howard - 37.3 Overall Grade

Howard was on an island with Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua all day long, and Nacua won that matchup practically every snap. Nacua finished with 13 receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown in a dominant performance against Howard and the Colts' secondary.

#Colts HC Shane Steichen, asked if they must consider other options amid CB Xavien Howard’s struggles:

“… We gotta do a better job looking at different things and helping him in certain situations. He is a talented player, but we gotta improve in some areas, for sure.” pic.twitter.com/Kv7u5BNmdR
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) September 29, 2025

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Per PFF's in-game data, Howard allowed seven receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown, and Matthew Stafford had a 155.6 passer rating when targeting him.

5th Lowest | Safety Nick Cross - 41.3 Overall Grade

Although he finished with 14 total tackles on the day, PFF analysts felt that Cross struggled in coverage. His 38.9 coverage grade and 55.5 run defense grade outweighed his 86.4 tackling grade, which finished as the best tackling grade on the team.

Cross is in his second year as a full-time starter and the final year of his rookie contract. The Colts will need him to bounce back against the Las Vegas Raiders and an interception-prone Geno Smith next weekend.

5th Highest | Running Back Jonathan Taylor - 73.2 Overall Grade

Taylor finished as the second-highest graded offensive player on the day, despite a long touchdown run being called back due to holding. He ended the day with 17 carries for 76 yards and five receptions for 20 yards.

Jonathan Taylor with what would've been an ABSURD 53-yard touchdown run to give the Colts the lead, but it's called back for offensive holding: pic.twitter.com/OP1kRa2ZAg
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) September 28, 2025

Taylor earned a 76.9 pass blocking grade, which was the highest on the team.

4th Highest | Tackle Bernhard Raimann - 73.5 Overall Grade

Bernhard Raimann and Daniel Jone — Sep 7, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) celebrates with offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (79) after a touchdown during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Raimann finished as the best offensive player, despite having two penalties called on him. The Colts' stalwart blindside tackle kept the line somewhat steady for Daniel Jones, even if he got beat a couple of times.

Raimann's 85.7 run blocking grade was the highest on the team.

3rd Highest | Defensive Tackle DeForest Buckner - 74.6 Overall Grade

Although he's yet to record a sack on the year, Buckner has generated plenty of tackles and pressures in the backfield.

He finished as the third-highest graded defender after playing 58 defensive snaps on Sunday. His 74.0 pass rush grade was the fourth-best on the team.

2nd Highest | Defensive Tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore - 89.4 Overall Grade

Adebawore had an excellent game against the Rams' offensive line, despite only playing 22 snaps. His go-to swim move off the line of scrimmage generated multiple pressures, three tackles, one sack, and one QB hit.

He ended the day with an 85.4 pass rush grade, the second-best on the team.

Highest | Edge Rusher Laiatu Latu - 89.6 Overall Grade

Latu finally earned his first sack of the year against the Rams in a dominant display. He set multiple career highs, including nine pressures, two QB hits, and six hurries.

#Colts DE Laiatu Latu with a fantastic showing vs the Rams, per PFF:

- 9 pressures*
- 1 sack
- 2 QB Hits*
- 6 hurries*

* = career-highs
— Noah Compton (@nerlens_) September 29, 2025

The Colts desperately needed an edge rusher to step up this week, and Latu delivered in a big way.

The Colts will turn their attention to the Las Vegas Raiders as they prepare for a two-game home stand.