Colts, Lou Anarumo’s D preparing for Matthew Stafford, Rams’ offense

INDIANAPOLIS – Praise flowed westward in the direction of Matthew Stafford.

From Shane Steichen.

“I think he’s one of the best probably ever to do it.’’

From Daniel Jones.

“He’s a fun guy to watch. Can make any throw and makes it look easy.’’

From Zaire Franklin.

“One of the best to do it. He’s probably the best to play the game at manipulating underneath droppers with his shoulders, his vision, his footwork.’’

From Charvarius Ward.

“Hall of Fame quarterback. Pretty good, man.’’

And from Lou Anarumo.

“I think he’s one of the better quarterbacks we’ve had in this generation of quarterbacks. I’m still scarred, will always be scarred (from) the no-look pass he threw against us in the Super Bowl.’’

It was second-and 7 at the Cincinnati 46 with three minutes remaining in Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022. The Stafford-led Los Angeles Rams trailed 20-16 but were driving against Anarumo’s defense.

Then, with his eyes fixed to the right, Stafford flicked a no-look pass over the middle to Cooper Kupp for a 22-yard gain. A few minutes later, Stafford and Kupp collaborated on a 1-yard touchdown that denied Anarumo and the Bengals and delivered a 23-20 win and world championship to the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Ca., the Rams’ home.

You’ll forgive Anarumo if he has an occasional flashback this week.

Sunday afternoon at Sofi Stadium, Anarumo’s Indianapolis Colts defense must deal with the enormous threat posed by Stafford and his diverse supporting cast that includes wideouts Puka Nacua and Davante Adams and running back Kyren Williams.

“Two great receivers, man, and a Hall of Fame quarterback, Matt Stafford,’’ Ward said Wednesday. “And a Hall of Fame play-caller in Sean McVay. I’ve been playing the Rams for a few years now and I know they play real hard. I think it’s going to be a great challenge for us.’’

Anarumo’s creative schemes often include allowing Ward to shadow the opposing team’s top receivers. In last week’s 41-20 win at Tennessee, the former Pro Bowl cornerback spent much of the day traveling with Calvin Ridley, whether it was to the left, the right or out of either slot.

Ridley finished with one catch for 27 yards on seven targets.

“You’re talking about one of the better corners in the league,’’ Anarumo said of Ward. “He’s got every trait you want as a premier corner. He’s tough. He’s smart. So, he’s a high-level player and when you have a high-level player on your group, when he’s out there playing, he really affects the game.’’

Limiting Ridley’s damage last week was a defensive priority.

“We want to keep that theme,’’ Anarumo said.

Trouble is, there’s only one Charvarius Ward.

It might be pick your poison with Nacua and Adams.

“I think coach is going to pick who he thinks is the most dangerous weapon and I’ll probably be on that guy,’’ Ward said.

Which is most dangerous?

“Shoot, they’ve both got equal amount of targets this year,’’ he said. “I think both are pretty good players. We’ll see. Get out there in practice today and I’ll see how we’re going to do it. I’ll know pretty soon if I’m traveling with somebody.’’

Ward had done his homework.

Nacua leads the NFL with 29 receptions and 226 yards. His 35 targets trail only the 37 of New Orleans’ Chris Olave.

Adams is tied-7^th with 29 targets that have produced 13 receptions, 213 yards and two touchdowns. No other Ram has been targeted more than seven times after three games.

Stafford makes everything work. His offense ranks No. 5 in yards per game (363.7) and No. 11 in scoring (24.3).

“I have the utmost respect for him,’’ Anarumo said.

After piling up impressive numbers but being part of a winning team just four times in 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions, Stafford has flourished since a 2021 trade sent him to Los Angeles. He’s 36-24 in the regular season with the Rams, has reached the postseason three times and has averaged 257.3 passing yards per game with 100 touchdowns and 46 interceptions.

Stafford continues to climb the NFL’s all-time charts: 10^th in yards (60,548) and 9^th in touchdowns (382).

But it’s also worth pointing out that his 190 interceptions are the most among active quarterbacks, while his 507 sacks in 225 games are 3^rd-most.

Change at nickel

The timing isn’t exactly ideal for Anarumo to be shifting players in the secondary.

But that’s the case with veteran cornerback Kenny Moore II, who is expected to miss at least a few games with an injury to his left Achilles. The Colts prepared for him to miss some time by signing another veteran nickel, Mike Hilton, to the practice squad.

“He was with Lou,’’ Ward said. “So he knows the scheme. I think he can hop in from day one and get in there if we need him to.’’

After spending his first four seasons with Pittsburgh, Hilton signed with Cincinnati and started 36 of 64 games for Anarumo. He had six interceptions, 24 passes defended and 36 tackles for loss for the Bengals.

Like Moore, Hilton has emerged as a top player at his position after entering the NFL as an undrafted rookie.

“Really been probably top two nickels over the past five or six years,’’ Hilton said. “We imitated each other’s game.’’

It remains to be seen how quickly Hilton can regain his football shape and contribute. He signed as a free agent with Miami in July and was on the field for 20 defensive snaps in two preseason games.

Hilton’s expectations in Indy?

“Come in and play,’’ he said. “A plug-and-play type of guy. I know the scheme well, so that’s a smooth transition. I’m going to take this week to get my body right, get it going. Obviously, I might not play every snap, but I expect to play a good bit.’’

You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.