Tag: Las Vegas Raiders vs Indianapolis Colts

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 17 vs Colts

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 17 vs Colts

The Raiders have not made things easy at all the past few weeks. But they have managed to pull out three wins, which, in the end, is what matters.

In this one, they jumped out to a 10-0 lead and had a 13-3 lead with seconds left in the first half. But in a matter of fewer than three minutes from the end of the second quarter to the beginning of the third quarter, they found themselves trailing 17-13.

That remained the score to start of the fourth quarter, due in large part to Derek Carr throwing his second interception of the game. But the Raiders were able to put things together on offense in the fourth quarter to take a 20-17 lead. Then with the score tied 20-20 with just under two minutes left in they were able to move into range of a game-winning field goal.

Ballers

WR Hunter Renfrow

The catch of the game was the one that put the Raiders in position for that game-winning field goal. Derek Carr sidestepped an oncoming rusher and stepped up in the pocket. Renfrow saw his quarterback trying to extend the play, so he broke off his route and made himself available.

Carr saw Renfrow and tossed it where hopefully only he could get it. Renfrow adjusted to make a brilliant diving 26-yard grab. After a few clock-draining plays, the Raiders ended the game.

Carr knew where to look for his outlet in part because his only touchdown of the day happened in a similar fashion. It was fourth and two from the 11-yard-line Renfrow had run his route and quickly diagnosed he needed to get to an open spot for his quarterback and Carr threw it there for the TD.

Renfrow caught a total of seven passes in this game to move into sole possession of the third-most catches in Raiders history. He is the most dependable outlet a QB can ask for.

On the opening drive alone, Renfrow made a 14-yard catch and an eight-yard catch on third and three to put the team in first down at the Indianapolis 40-yard-line. They would drive for a touchdown on that opening drive.

Even with his heavy workload as a receiver, Renfrow still returns punts. Late in the first quarter, he put the Raiders in great field position with a 41-yard return to the Indianapolis 35-yard-line.  The Raiders got a field goal out of it.

Their next scoring drive, Renfrow caught a 12-yard pass on third and 13, allowing the Raiders to go for it on fourth and one. They picked it up and added another field goal. He added a five-yard catch on third and seven that set up his touchdown on fourth and two to finish with 76 yards and a touchdown on seven catches.

DE Yannick Ngakoue

The Colts started the game with a three-and-out. They didn’t gain a yard on those three plays because after a three-yard run on first down, Ngakoue blew up a pitch play leading to a three-yard loss.

Early in the second quarter, with the Raiders up 10-0, the Colts mounted a long drive entirely on the ground. That drive stalled starting with Ngakoue getting held. That led to a third and long and Ngakoue put a hit on Carson Wentz to force an incompletion and hold them to a field goal.

Come to the end of the second quarter, the Colts went on another long drive. This time they moved into first and goal at the one-yard-line where Ngakoue got in the backfield again to lay another hit on Wentz for another incompletion. Ultimately it took a run on third down for them to get into the endzone.

Suddenly down 17-13, and with Carr being intercepted for the second time, the defense had to step up to give the Raiders another chance to take back the lead. On third and six, Ngakoue sacked Wentz. Yannick was even held on the play and still got through. The holding was declined.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Colts were once again threatening. The Raiders were up 20-17, so holding them to a field goal was crucial. On second down, he disrupted a short pass play that was then stopped for no gain and set up third and long. They couldn’t convert and settled for a field goal.

Ngakoue finished with a sack, four QB hits, and a tackle for loss.

WR Zay Jones

Jones had the longest catch (11 yards) on the Raiders’ second scoring drive, the longest catch on their third scoring drive (26 yards), the longest catch of the game (42 yards) to set up their fourth score, and a 14-yard catch on their game-winning drive. He would finish with a career-high 120 yards on eight catches.

CB Nate Hobbs

Hobbs’ inclusion here could stand only to make the team and fans that much more frustrated with his actions after the game. Hobbs was arrested on DUI charges after being found passed out in his car at 4 am Monday. Incredibly irresponsible especially in light of the Henry Ruggs III tragic accident and Josh Jacobs’s DUI arrest earlier this year.

As for his game performance, he was on point. He got stronger as the game went along. He had a run stop in the third quarter, then led out the fourth quarter with a QB hit leading to an incompletion.

Late in the fourth quarter, he was flagged for pass interference on a play he pretty cleared played perfectly. Then he shook it off and ended the drive anyway, making a run stuff and then making the tackle on a short catch on third and long to force a field goal and give the Raiders plenty of time left to respond.

Clearly, the rookie cornerback had plenty to celebrate. You just wish he would have celebrated more responsibly.

LT Kolton Miller

Derek Carr saw some pressure in this game and was hit a few times as well. But none of it came from Kolton Miller’s side of the line.

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Derek Carr, Hunter Renfrow heroics set up game-winner vs Colts, gives Raiders ‘chance at the dance’

Derek Carr ‘created’ and Hunter Renfrow ‘stayed with me’ twice to give Raiders ‘chance at the dance’

With less than two minutes left in the game between the Colts and Raiders, the Colts connected on a field goal to tie it up at 20-20. That meant the Raiders would need to drive for a score to try and win it and keep the game from heading to overtime.

A 14-yard connection with Zay Jones put the Raiders in Indianapolis territory at the 48. Two incompletions later and the Raiders were in third and ten. Derek Carr dropped back to pass, saw pressure, stepped up to try and keep the play alive, and threw a pass on the run just over the defender to a diving Hunter Renfrow.

It was an astounding play that first was ruled a touchdown after Renfrow got up and ran for the end zone. But he was touched down at the 24-yard-line instead. Either way, it put the Raiders in scoring range to win it.

 

“Derek did a good job of extending the play,” said Renfrow. “I know a lot of people have been on him about that. So, it’s all about the first step. If you can see it right before the DB does and Derek can find you, then you have a good formula for success there. Derek did that, the O-line did a good job of extending the play and letting us extend it, and Derek found me. It was a good job by him.”

Carr noted after the game that Renfrow “stayed with me again. Kept running, made a heck of a catch.”

Carr said “again” because the two of them hooked up on a play earlier in which Carr extended the play and Renfrow made himself available. The previous play came early in the fourth quarter to put the Raiders ahead 20-17.

The Raiders were a the 11-yard-line, which means they could’ve settled for a field goal, but that would have had them down one point still. And in fourth and two, Bisaccia made the aggressive call. Then Carr and Renfrow made it happen.

“We came into the game with a little bit of the mentality that if we got in fourth and two, fourth and one situations, we thought we had a good enough package we could do some of those things,” said Bisaccia.

“And I thought we saw Derek create today. I thought had two or three plays where he created and made big plays. With his ability to step up like that and move himself around a little bit and put himself in position to create — whether it’s third-down or fourth down or whatever — he did a good job with it.”

The unfortunate thing is the reason they needed these two big plays late was because of mistakes earlier, including two Derek Carr interceptions. That made what began as a 10-0 lead and remained a 13-3 game with seconds left in the second quarter would turn into a 17-13 Colts lead in the third quarter.

To the Raiders’ credit, they came on at the right time. And it was crucial to their playoff lives that they do so. A loss would have put them in a position in which they would need a lot of help from other teams in order to remain in the playoff race. A win meant they still control their own destinies.

“All it means that that we got to win next week,” Renfrow added, putting it in perspective. “We put ourselves in a good chance to win next week and we’re in the playoffs. That’s what we’ve all talked about since the beginning. Just give us a chance at the dance.”

The Raiders escaped Indianapolis with the 23-20 win to improve to a 9-7 record and clinch their first winning season since 2016. Whether that means a playoff berth will depend on what happened next week when they face the Chargers in the season finale. Win and they’re in. Lose, and the hopes are slim.

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Raiders Week 17 playoff elimination scenarios

Raiders can’t clinch a playoff berth this Sunday with a win, but they can be eliminated if they lose

Losing five of six games put the Raiders in a tough spot. But not an impossible one. In fact, with their wins the past couple weeks, they put themselves in position to make the playoffs should they win out. But it’s looking like even a single loss could end things for them.

Next up the Raiders face the 9-6 Colts who are vying for a playoff spot as well.

A loss to the Colts isn’t an automatic ouster from the playoffs, but by the end of the day it could.

These are the elimination scenarios for the Raiders should they lose.

The Raiders are a 10am game. If they win, they can rest easy. If they lose they will be watching the rest of the game results closely to see if they will have anything to play for in the finale.

All scenarios involve either the Ravens or the Chargers winning. If they both win with the Raiders losing, Raiders are out. If they both lose, the Raiders will still remain in contention when they face the Chargers in Week 18.

The Ravens are one of the early games as well, so should they win, and the Raiders lose, the Raiders will be watching the Chargers’ afternoon game closely.

Likewise, the Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots all play in the early going. If the Bills and either the Patriots or the Dolphins win as well, again the Raiders will be watching the Chargers to know their fates.

If the Ravens, Bills, and Dolphins or Patriots win and the Chargers lose, the Raiders would wait until Monday night’s game between the Steelers and Browns to find out if they are still alive. In that scenario, if the Steelers won, the Raiders would be out. If the Browns win, the Raiders would still be clinging to hope.

Again, Raiders are in control of their own destiny here. If they win, none of these scenarios matter. If not, they would need a lot of help.

Raiders activate several starting defenders from reserve/COVID-19 ahead of facing Colts

Raiders defense got a big boost today with key starters coming off reserve/COVID-19 ahead of facing Colts

For the first time this week the Raiders reserve/COVID-19 list got smaller. It got a lot smaller, in fact. Cut in half over the past couple days, to be exact. And among the players who have returned are some key defenders.

The linebacking corps was gutted this week, leading to the signing of a couple free agents. Today they got some good news with the return of leading tackler and Pro Bowl LB Denzel Perryman along with fellow starting LB Cory Littleton. This a day after they got LB KJ Wright back.

Additionally they got starting cornerback Casey Hayward back along with defensive tackle Darius Philon and QB Marcus Mariota.

There are still six players on reserve/COVID-19 list as of now. Among them are TE Darren Waller and DE Carl Nassib.

The team also announced the elevation of several players from the practice squad: S Jordan Brown, OL Hroniss Grasu, WR Tyron Johnson and DT Damion Square

Colts activate QB Carson Wentz from reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of facing Raiders

Colts take advantage of new NFL rules and have activated QB Carson Wentz from reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of facing Raiders

Under the rules that were in place when Carson Wentz was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Colts would have been without him for Sunday’s game against the Raiders. That’s because Wentz tested positive for COVID-19 and is unvaccinated and previous protocols would have ruled him out for ten day.

However the day after he tested positive, the NFL changed their rules to go along with new CDC guidelines, lowering the number of days from ten to five. They also changed their testing protocols to allow players to return with one negative test instead of two.

These new rules in place gave Wentz a chance to return before the Colts crucial playoff implication game against the Raiders this Sunday. And return he has.

Also returning from the reserve/COVID-19 list is starting guard Braden Smith and former Raiders CB TJ Carrie.

Wentz’s return doesn’t guarantee he will play Sunday, though you’d figure he would considering the importance in such a game. His availability would depend on if he is suffering from any lingering health issues from the virus.

To cover themselves, the Colts have elevated Brett Hundley from the practice squad, giving them three active quarterbacks including backup Sam Ehlinger

Raiders activate WR Bryan Edwards, send DE Carl Nassib to reserve/COVID-19 list

WR Bryan Edwards returned from reserve/COVID-19 list while DE Carl Nassib is sent to the list

Another day, another reserve/COVID-19 list shuffle. Thursday the Raiders announced WR Bryan Edwards has been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. While at the same time placing DE Carl Nassib and G Jordan Simmons on the list.

It’s a net loss, though Edwards in a starter and neither Nassib nor Simmons are. These transactions put the Raiders reserve/COVID-19 list at 12 players currently.

Being put on the list this late in the week makes for slim chances of playing in the game. Even with the protocols lowering from ten days to five under new CDC guidelines. Also players need only test negative once instead of twice.

Edwards missed last Sunday’s game against the Broncos, leading to Desean Jackson and Zay Jones starting at wide receiver.

Edwards had appeared in 14 games with 11 starts this season, catching 30 passes for 508 yards and three touchdowns.

Additionally, the team announced the addition off OL Nico Falah and OL Brett Heggie to the practice squad.

Raiders, Colts Thursday injury report: Colts still missing 3 starters

Colts still missing three starters at Thursday’s practice in prep to face Raiders

There was no change to the injury report Thursday for the Colts. And that was not good news because they had three starters missing on Wednesday and those same three starters were still missing on Thursday.

Starting left tackle Eric Fisher (knee/shoulder/toe), TE Jack Doyle (knee/ankle), and S Andrew Sendejo (concussion) were all missing once again for the Colts further jeopardizing their chances of playing in Sunday’s game.

The only change of any kind to the injury report for either team was Quinton Jefferson returning after resting on Wednesday. The Raiders have had only walk-thrus on Wednesday and Thursday.

The bigger issue for both teams remains those players on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Raiders currently have 12 players on the list while the Colts have six players on the list including starting QB Carson Wentz who is unvaccinated.

If any of those players test negative, they can return should they be healthy enough to do so. The injured players are a different story. If they were healthy enough to play, they’d be practicing.

Raiders get CB Brandon Facyson, two others back from reserve/COVID-19 list

Raiders got starting cornerback Brandon Facyson back from reserve/COVID-19 list along with two others.

While Wednesday saw TE Darren Waller and DT Kendall Vickers head to the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Raiders did get three players back as well. Offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor, CB Brandon Facyson, and S Roderic Teamer all came off the list today.

Facyson is the starter in the bunch. He was starting in place of the injured Trayvon Mullen much of the season and was expect to resume those starting duties last week when Mullen headed to a second stint on IR. But the positive COVID test mean the Raiders looked to fourth string cornerback Desmond Trufant.

Teamer may have started last week in place of Johnathan Abram who was lost for the season to a dislocated shoulder. Instead Dallin Leavitt played every snap at strong safety.

Other transactions today included sending guards Jeremiah Poutasi and Lester Cotton to the practice squad reserve/COVID-19 list. There are also 11 Raiders roster players on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Raiders, Colts Wednesday injury report: Colts LT Eric Fisher misses practice

While the Raiders injury report is rather clear, the Colts were without two starters Wednesday

Colts QB Carson Wentz was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list this week which means he could miss Sunday’s game. If he can’t go, rookie Sam Ehlinger figures to start. Wednesday Ehlinger lined up without starting left tackle Eric Fisher protecting his blind side.

Fisher missed Wednesday’s practice with several injuries including knee, shoulder, and toe injuries.

Also missing practice Wednesday for the Colts was starting safety Andrew Sendejo (concussion).

The Raiders injury report was pretty clear. The only players listed as missing were for rest reasons.

This of course doesn’t include TE Darren Waller because he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list today. He had missed the past four games with knee and back injuries.

Injuries aren’t the biggest concern for the Raiders right now. Waller is one of 11 players currently on Raiders reserve/COVID-19 list. Many of whom could return this week under the NFL’s newly adapted guidelines that allows vaccinated players to test out of the protocol. But that remains to be seen.

Raiders add TE Darren Waller to reserve/COVID-19 list

Darren Waller’s potential return this week hit a snag as the TE heads to reserve/COVID-19 list

Just when it looked like the Raiders could be close to the return of Darren Waller from injury, those plans had another wrench thrown into them. Wednesday head coach Rich Bisaccia announced the team has placed Waller on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Waller has miss the past four games with knee and back injuries. They opted not to place him on injured reserve thinking initially that Waller could return sooner. Unfortunately Waller had a setback in his recovery and has yet to return.

Last week Waller was Doubtful for the first time after having been ruled OUT the previous three games. That was a sign that he could be returning to practice this week. That won’t happen now.

There is still a chance he could play, should he test out of the protocol under new guidelines that would otherwise have him out for at least five days. The game in Indianapolis is just four days away. That is all, of course, dependent upon his physical readiness.

Waller’s addition brings the number of players on the Raiders reserve/COVID-19 list to 12.