On a day marred by miscues, second-year Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu shined bright in pass rush against Matthew Stafford and this Rams offense. It was a big step that the young pass rusher was expected to take, and although stacking such performances is the next step, this was a fantastic start for Latu.
Stafford may have gone 29-41 for 375 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions through the air, but he was sacked three times and felt the pressure on most dropbacks. Most notably, Laiatu Latu was regularly applying pressure in the backfield and left the game by securing his first sack of the year.
The discourse surrounding Latu as he headed into the 2025-26 season was that of high expectations. He was the first defensive player drafted the year prior, and although he proved to be a consistent problem as a rookie when it comes to pressure rate, finishing the job and adding to his sack total became his biggest flaw as a young NFL player. Add to the fact that other defenders drafted after him, more specifically, other pass rushers who burst onto the scene earlier than he, only exacerbates expectations and the subsequent pressure to arrive. That and the fact that general manager Chris Ballard laughingly proclaimed that Indy “got the best f***ing rusher in the draft,” doesn’t help temper expectations.
As alluded to, Latu still has some stacking to do before we can anoint him as anything, but that top-tier pressure rate not only materialized into a sack against the Rams but resulted in a career-best day as a pass rusher overall. According to Pro Football Focus’s early in-game charting, Latu’s career-high showing saw 9 pressures (leaguewide-high 29.0% pressure rate), 2 QB hits, and 6 QB hurries to go with his lone sack. This is tied with New York Giants’ Abdul Carter for most pressures in Week 4, while his 32.1% pass rush win rate also stood near the top.
There’s been a lot of talk about Indy’s pass rush, or lack thereof, so far this season. Lou Anarumo’s Colts defense had by far the worst pressure rate through two weeks, and although dominating a depleted Titans offensive line improved their production up to the 7th-worst after three weeks, changes needed to be made. The whole unit was lacking pressure, but the defensive end room, one that was deemed to be its deepest unit in years, was particularly falling short. It was such a talking point that I covered the dilemma in full by posing the idea that giving the NFL’s reigning sack leader and Lou Anarumo’s former star rusher, Trey Hendrickson, a ring could solve the problem entirely. Not even one game later, and Latu has turned in his best day as a pro.
Colts fans were prepared to remain patient with Laiatu Latu as they expected an up-and-down season, but after an unforeseen 3-0 start, expectations were not only higher overnight, but results needed to arrive sooner than anticipated. Thankfully for Latu and fans alike, he stayed the course, and it resulted in a career-high showing against the Rams that reassures his believers that his time will inevitably come. This doesn’t mean Latu has officially arrived as the perennial 10+ sack player he was projected to become, but the ball might just be rolling that direction.
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