Here are five things to watch entering the Week 17 matchup between the Colts and Raiders.
The Indianapolis Colts are heading into Week 17 as the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture. They will be facing a Las Vegas Raiders team that has put themselves back in the playoff hunt with their two-game winning streak they are riding into this matchup.
These two franchises have played each other seven times since 2013 with the Colts winning four of the meetings. But the last time Indianapolis beat the Raiders at home came on Sept. 8, 2013.
This is basically a win-or-go-home contest for both teams because a loss this Sunday would significantly hurt their chances of cracking into the postseason in Week 18.
Here are five things to watch for when they kickoff in Lucas Oil Stadium this weekend:
The experts have made their picks for this Week 17 matchup.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) are just about set to host the Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) for a crucial Week 17 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
As the Colts are looking to bounce back from arguably their worst loss of the season, the Raiders have been enjoying some success under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, most recently coming off a surprising road win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Vegas has the Colts sitting as 3.5-point home favorites in this matchup, according to BetMGM.
Here’s how the experts around the league see this matchup shaking out:
Over at Tallysight, 58% of the analysts have the Colts taking a win at home. In terms of the spread, 66% of analysts believe the Raiders will cover.
According to BetMGM, the numbers also favor the Raiders much more heavily. As of this writing, 57% of the bettors are taking the Raiders moneyline while 65% also have them covering a 3.5-point spread. Meanwhile, 65% believe the game will hit the over on a 42.5-point total.
The Colts currently hold the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture and are playing for their spot as either a wild-card team or potentially as the leaders in the AFC South if things bounce their way.
Meanwhile, the Raiders suddenly find themselves clinging to slight hopes of making the playoffs considering they are 4-3 under Pierce as the interim head coach. They just got their first win on the road with him leading the team in a 20-14 upset over the Chiefs.
These two teams have played each other in each of the last five seasons with the Colts holding a 3-2 record during that span and each team trading off wins every other year.
Those in the green will get the Colts vs Raiders game on TV.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) are set to play host to the Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) on Sunday for a Week 17 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Those in the green area of the TV map will get the game on the local CBS channel, courtesy of 506 Sports.
(Courtesy of 506 Sports)
Getting the call for the CBS crew this week will be Andrew Catalon (play-by-play), Tiki Barber (color commentary), Matt Ryan (color commentary) and AJ Ross (sideline).
Despite coming off a loss on the road, the Colts currently hold the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture, leading a quartet of 8-7 teams.
The Raiders have been one of the more interesting teams since firing former head coach Josh McDaniels. In the interim under Antonio Pierce, it’s clear the defense applies a physical brand of football that few teams have been able to match.
The Colts will have an advantage against a Raiders offense that is streaky. However, the Raiders defense should be able to keep this game close being led by the star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
It seems the Colts will be near full strength, all things considered. Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is trending to clear the concussion protocol entering Friday, but as we saw last week, it’s not official until the game starts and he’s on the field.
It also appears the Colts will see the return of right tackle Braden Smith, barring a setback during Friday’s practice. He has played just three snaps over the last four games and has dealt with injuries throughout the entire season.
The Raiders always seem to match up well with the Colts so this should be an interesting battle at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
Here’s where the Colts stand in the Week 17 power rankings.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) are looking to bounce back following a brutal loss on the road with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
It was arguably the worst loss of the season. The Colts went on the road and mustered just 10 points, seven of which were scored on the opening drive. Both sides of the ball struggled to generate any rhythm, and the Colts failed to take advantage of other losses around the AFC.
In most outlets, the Colts were knocked down a few pegs, but they are still near the middle of the pack.
Next to their ranking, the number in parentheses indicates the change from the previous week. A positive number means they’re moving up the power rankings.
Here’s where the Colts stand in the Week 17 power rankings:
Here’s the Colts’ unofficial depth chart for Week 17.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) released their unofficial depth chart ahead of the Week 17 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders (7-8).
The term “unofficial” should be taken to heart here as the pecking order could change on a whim. Still, we’re here to take a look at the depth chart going into the crucial matchup against the Raiders.
Here’s a look at the unofficial Week 17 depth chart for the Colts:
Analyzing the Colts’ snap counts from the Week 16 loss to the Falcons.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) were defeated 29-10 on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons (7-8) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It was a brutal loss on the road that featured domination by the Falcons on both sides of the ball. Despite scoring on the opening drive of the game, the Colts never found any rhythm for the rest of the game.
Here’s a look at the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams from the Week 16 loss, followed by our analysis below:
Five takeaways from the Colts’ 29-10 loss to the Falcons.
The Indianapolis Colts aren’t having a jolly Christmas after falling to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
It was a letdown performance from the Colts. After scoring a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, the offense failed to find any footing. The run game couldn’t find any room, Gardner Minshew was under pressure often, and the passing attack clearly missed Michael Pittman Jr. in this matchup. As far as the defense, it was an up-and-down day.
They let up two long touchdown drives but held Atlanta’s offense to 5/13 on third downs and 0/3 on their red-zone trips but the Falcons still put up 406 yards of offense which helped set up five field goal drives that helped put 29 points on the board.
Despite the dreadful Christmas Eve loss for the Colts, the good news is teams in the playoff hunt also lost so they still have a chance to win the AFC South and currently hold the seventh seed in the playoff picture heading into their Week 17 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Before getting to that game, let’s take a look at five takeaways from Indy’s road loss to the Falcons:
Studs and duds from the Colts’ loss to the Falcons.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) failed to take care of business on the road in a 29-10 loss against the Atlanta Falcons (7-8) on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It was a sloppy game all around for the Colts, who were dominated on both sides of the ball. Neither the offensive line nor the defensive line found ways to generate any consistent push, allowing the Falcons to control the line of scrimmage with ease.
This was a setback for a team that looked primed for a wild-card spot and while not all hope is lost in that endeavor, this defeat certainly muddies the outlook for the final two games.
Here’s a look at the studs and duds from the Week 16 loss:
Here’s a look at the Colts’ gameday roster for Week 16, sorted by jersey number.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) are looking to continue their playoff push with a road matchup against the Atlanta Falcons (6-8) on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
As it pertains to the roster, the Colts made some big changes leading up to this game. They suspended Isaiah McKenzie and Tony Brown for conduct detrimental to the team. That led to a pair of open roster spots, which they filled by promoting a running back and cornerback from the practice squad.
