The up and down Las Vegas Raiders hope to stay on the road to success in hosting the AFC South against Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. After a shocking one-sided loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Raiders had a break in their schedule with last week’s win over the winless Jets. The Colts also caught up against the Houston Texans after being blown out by Tennessee at home.
Colts play like street fighters
Don’t expect a little road trip to rock the Colts.
The team has won its last three street games, including a win in Nashville against the playoff-competing Tennessee Titans. If they can beat the titans, they certainly won’t be afraid to set out to face the fighting raiders.
Quarterback Philip Rivers should probably bring his favorite book with him. He’ll have all day to throw the soccer ball and probably catch up a few chapters before a raider’s defender is even near a sack. Las Vegas is currently ranked the third worst sack percentage in the NFL. That’s a big plus for a seasoned quarterback like Rivers, who should have all day to find the open recipient. This could even be another big day for TY Hilton, given the fighting the Raiders showed in defending the pass.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Colts sit in 5th place in yards allowed. It’s a unit that doesn’t get much praise across the league but continues to go to work every week. Opposing teams play an average of only 319 meters per game against them. Finding an opening to pass or run against the Colts could feel like an attempt to break into Fort Knox for a Raiders team that appears to have got lost late in the season.
The Colts are also getting healthier with the likes of Anthony Castonzo, Justin Houston and Trey Burton returning to training this week.
The offensive cavalry comes for the raiders
Well, the Raiders finally got good news after a rough couple of weeks when Josh Jacobs ran back to practice. He currently leads the team with 782 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, which some might consider a second slump after a strong rookie year. Nevertheless, he was able to finish this season in a hurry of over 1,000 meters. You would be hard pressed to find a more versatile return in the league.
Jacobs can do anything, and the Raiders need him to win games – unless they’re against a team as bad as the Jets.
They didn’t let their star roll back and still got the 31-28 victory over Gang Green. The challenge, however, will be like day and night as they compete against the Colts. Quarterback Derek Carr had a great season despite the team’s overall inconsistent play. It reads correctly and hits its recipients while capping sales. The latter will be the most important statistic against a stingy Colts defense on Sunday. Carr can’t afford to flip the ball and give Rivers additional opportunities to play with his defense.
Some of you may have rolled your eyes when I used the word “toy”. However, this is the same Raiders team that was blown up by the slumped Atlanta Falcons for 43 points and almost lost to the winless Jets. They can’t put pressure on up front, and the teams have been able to take them apart in too many key situations. This must be a moment of gut control for the raiders on defense. If they have any hope of keeping up in the playoffs, it has to be more than just Carr and the offense that makes games.
