The Colts boarded a flight to Los Angeles three weeks ago with a 3-0 record – but with a narrative that their Week 4 game against the Rams was a test.
Was the Colts' strong start to the season for real? Could this team hang with a Rams side widely viewed as a Super Bowl contender?
The answer to both those questions wound up being yes – even though the Colts lost, 27-20, in a mistake-filled contest.
"I know the Rams were a great team, obviously a lot of respect for Stafford and Puka (Nacua) and company," linebacker Zaire Franklin said. "But I just really didn't like how we went out there – I feel like we looked at them as our test.
"We looked at them as – obviously, they have a great, they've had playoff success, Super Bowl champion, yada, yada, yada. But at the same time I feel like we didn't give ourselves enough credit. I think that kind of showed up a little bit in the game. I think we didn't go out there knowing we were the team we knew we were and believing in ourselves, and knowing that they had to adjust to us, that we were a test for them."
The Colts are going back to California with a 5-1 record and another looming challenge, this time against the 4-2 and AFC West-leading Los Angeles Chargers. But the Colts aren't plucky, is-this-success-real underdogs. They have the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense and the best record in the AFC.
Yes, this game is a test for the Colts – but it's also a test for the Chargers.
"I feel like going out there to L.A. a second time," Franklin said, "we're going to go out there with the right mentality."
With that in mind, here are a few things to look for on offense, defense and special teams on Sunday: