St. Louis @ Indianapolis preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 12, 2012 ) St. Louis 3, Indianapolis 38

With a key AFC South tilt looming on the horizon, the division-leading Indianapolis Colts can ill afford to look past the visiting St. Louis Rams on Sunday. The Colts posted their second consecutive victory in stirring fashion, overcoming an 18-point third-quarter deficit to post a 27-24 triumph over Houston last week. T.Y. Hilton made his presence known with veteran wideout Reggie Wayne sidelined with a torn ACL by reeling in a career-best seven catches for 121 yards and franchise-tying three receiving touchdowns against the Texans.

Indianapolis leads the AFC South by two games over Tennessee, which handed St. Louis its third straight loss last week and faces the Colts on Thursday. With quarterback Sam Bradford's season also felled by a torn ACL, the Rams have shifted their focus toward Zac Stacy. The rookie followed up his 134-yard performance in a 14-9 loss to Seattle on Oct. 28 by rushing for his first two career touchdowns to highlight his 27-carry, 127-yard effort versus the Titans.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Colts -9.5. O/U: 44

ABOUT THE RAMS (3-6): Kellen Clemens has been inconsistent at best since replacing Bradford, completing 37-of-70 passes for 387 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Much-publicized rookie wideout Tavon Austin, who was held without a reception last week, has yet to utilize his brilliant speed into sizable yards after the catch. "It's all about patience and I'm sure my time will come," said Austin, who the Rams acquired after trading up to the eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft.

ABOUT THE COLTS (6-2): While Andrew Luck and Hilton have developed chemistry, Darrius Heyward-Bey suffered a head injury last week and was unable to get untracked in Wayne's absence. On the ground, Trent Richardson recorded season lows with eight rushes for 20 yards against Houston. The third overall pick of the 2012 draft has just four catches for 52 yards in six games since being acquired from Cleveland prior to Week 3.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Indianapolis LB Robert Mathis' league-leading 11 1/2 sacks are the ninth-most through eight games in NFL history. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.

2. St. Louis is permitting just 220.6 passing yards per game, which ranks ninth in the league.

3. The Colts' six turnovers are the fewest in the NFL and are tied for the least amount through eight games in franchise history.

PREDICTION: Colts 27, Rams 13