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Here are five takeaways from the Colts’ big win over the Raiders.
The Indianapolis Colts (9-7) kept their playoff chances alive for Week 18 after beating the Las Vegas Raiders (7-9).
Despite the feeling the Colts had control of this game throughout all four quarters, they allowed the Raiders to be within an arm’s distance in a game that came down to the final minute. The offense got off to a great start with a touchdown on the opening drive but stalled with three straight punts until they scored their second touchdown of the game with 3:53 left in the second quarter.
Even though Indy was able to score on all three drives (excluding the kneel-down to end the game) in the second half, the inability to punch the ball in the end zone and settle for field goals allowed Las Vegas to hang in. The Colts defense was mostly a bend-but-don’t-break effort in this contest. The lack of pressure on Aidan O’Connell in the second half allowed him to play catch with his receivers.
He was able to guide them on a touchdown drive in the final two minutes to make it a 23-20 game, but the Raiders failed to recover the onside to help seal the victory for the Colts. This secures Shane Steichen a winning record in his first season with the franchise and sets up a playoff opportunity next week against the Houston Texans. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see that contest as one of the two Week 18 Saturday games.
Before taking a look at the regular-season finale, here are five takeaways from the Week 17 win:
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 are five things to watch for as the Colts visit the Falcons.
The Indianapolis Colts enter Week 16 in the thick of a contentious battle for the AFC South crown and a playoff berth. Nothing can be settled this weekend but each game continues to matter more because of win or loss will have major implications heading into Week 17.
The Colts will be on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. The two franchises have faced each other just 17 times since 1966 with Indianapolis having won 15 of those contests.
The two wins by the Falcons came in 2011 (in Indy) and 1998 (in Atlanta). The Falcons should be a feisty team in this matchup because a loss will basically eliminate them from the postseason and a win can keep their slim playoff chances alive.
With both teams needing a big win on Sunday, let’s take a look at five things to watch for:
Taking a look at the studs and duds from the Colts’ 30-13 win over the Steelers.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) continued their playoff push with a 30-13 win at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) on Saturday.
It wasn’t pretty in the first half, especially as the Colts were down 13-0 early on after a missed field goal, a touchdown drive allowed and then a blocked punt that led to another Pittsburgh touchdown.
But the Colts were able to prevail thanks to some big plays by the passing offense after Gardner Minshew gave Indianapolis their first lead as they took a 14-13 halftime lead.
From there, the Colts outscored Pittsburgh 16-0 in the second half as they cruised to a convincing 30-13 victory.
Here’s a look at the studs and duds from the Week 15 win:
Here’s how instant analysis of the Colts’ 30-13 win over the Steelers.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) got back into the win column with a dominating 30-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was ugly early as the Colts were down 13-0 a few minutes into the second quarter, but Shane Steichen continued to prove why he should be the favorite for the Coach of the Year award.
The Colts stormed back to score 30 unanswered points after Diontae Johnson’s touchdown reception early in the second quarter. Despite injuries to Michael Pittman Jr. and Zack Moss, the Colts bullied the Steelers in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
This was a must-win for the Colts considering the playoff implications of the outcome.
Here’s our instant analysis of the huge 30-13 win over the Steelers:
Recapping the Colts’ massive 30-13 win over the Steelers.
The Indianapolis Colts (8-6) snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) with a dominating 30-13 win Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
In what was essentially a must-win, this game did not start out well for the Colts. They fell 13-0 early in the second quarter, and it appeared we were getting an encore of the Week 14 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, the Colts kept the energy up and wound up scoring 30 unanswered points over the course of the final three quarters of the game. The Colts put together arguably their most complete game despite Michael Pittman Jr. and Zack Moss exiting, which added to the absences of Jonathan Taylor and Braden Smith.
The Colts continued taking the ball away, winning the turnover battle 3-0, and the pass rush came through in a big way during the second half. This game could have featured a bigger score had it not been for a pair of brutal drops in the end zone during the first half.
Still, the Colts kept their playoff hopes alive in a must-win game and they still control their own destiny with three games remaining.
Here’s everything we know from the Week 15 win:
The Colts scored 30 straight points and went on to romp over the Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers went from having a double-digit lead in Week 15 to a three-game losing streak and vacant looks on their faces as time wound down on Saturday.
The Indianapolis Colts scored 30 straight points and throttled the Steelers, 30-13.
The Colts got a huge game on the ground, rushing for 170 yards. They did most of it with Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson, as Zack Moss went out injured and Jonathan Taylor didn’t dress.
Gardner Minshew was solid in directing Indy to the win.
The @Colts needed a big performance from @GardnerMinshew5 to get closer to a playoff spot and got exactly that.
18/28
215 yards
3 TDs/0 INTs pic.twitter.com/eNm6Wpg56a— NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2023
A look at areas where Gardner Minshew exceled in the Colts’ 30-13 win over the Steelers:
🔹 vs. 4-Man Rush: 15/18, 186 yds, 2 TD
🔹 Over 2.5 seconds: 10/14, 146 yds, 3 TD
🔹 vs. Cover 1: 5/10, 63 yds, 3 TDPowered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/j1EO8QcxbS
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) December 17, 2023
Mitchell Trubisky was inept after the Steelers built a 13-0 lead on a rushing and passing TD by the QB.
He was so bad that Mike Tomlin turned to Mason Rudolph late in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh had 216 yards of offense and was lit up for 372 by Indianapolis, which improved to 8-6.
The Steelers were once 7-4 and are now 7-7. They have more questions than answers that Tomlin faces.
In this week’s “4-Down Territory,” the guys discuss Joe Flacco, Jake Browning, Patrick Mahomes, and the NFL’s issues with head injuries.
With 14 weeks of actual football in the books for the 2023 NFL season, it’s time once again for Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, and Kyle Madson of Niners Wire, to come to the table with their own unique brand of analysis in “4-Down Territory.”
This week, the guys have some serious questions to answer:
You can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:
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You can also listen and subscribe to the “4-Down Territory” podcast on Spotify…
…and on Apple Podcasts.
This week’s Worst of the Week in the NFL features Kadarius Toney, Jamal Adams, and a league that still doesn’t care about head trauma.
Football is a wonderful, thrilling, inspiring game that can lift us to new heights in our lives.
But football is also a weird, inexplicable, at times downright stupid game that may force you to perform Keith Moon-level furniture destruction in your own living room.
So, as much as we at Touchdown Wire endeavor to write about what makes the game great, there are also times when it’s important to point out the dumb plays, boneheaded decisions, and officiating errors that make football all too human.
Folks, it’s time for the Worst of the Week for Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season. And we’re not covering officiating errors as we generally do, because we have a more important issue to discuss — the NFL still doesn’t care one bit about head trauma.
