Raiders winners and losers in 23-20 defeat vs. Colts

Raiders winners and losers in 23-20 defeat vs. Colts

The Raiders kept it close against the Colts on Sunday but never held a lead as they lost 23-20 in Indianapolis. The defeat eliminated Las Vegas from playoff contention.

Early short-yardage miscues on offense ruined quality field position for the Raiders, and big plays for the Colts offense in the first half set the table for a robust Indianapolis run game in the second half that sealed their victory. Late penalty flags by the Raiders closed the door on a potential comeback for the road team.

Here are the winners and losers for the week, after the Raiders failed to capitalize on momentum from their Christmas Day win against the Chiefs.

Winner: WR Davante Adams

Wide receiver Davante Adams was targeted an incredible 21 times as the Raiders turned to a pass-happy game plan in the first half and then played from behind all afternoon.

Adams delivered with 13 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns, including an impressive late grab late to bring the Raiders within 3 points of the Colts. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by Indianapolis, ending the game.

Adams surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the season, his fourth consecutive campaign topping that mark.

Winner: RB Zamir White

The Raiders were once again without starting running back Josh Jacobs, so RB Zamir White got another shot at carrying the load. Despite the Raiders’ pass-first approach, he responded with quality moments throughout the game.

White ended up with 71 yards on the ground (on 20 carries) and 35 yards through the air, with five catches on six targets.

Winner: QB Aidan O’Connell

After quarterback Aidan O’Connell failed to complete a pass after the first quarter against the Chiefs on Christmas, the Raiders’ game plan put this contest in the hands of their rookie QB.

His effort wasn’t enough, though his game stats can’t be ignored, especially after last week. O’Connell finished with 299 yards, completing 30 of 47 attempts. He also had two touchdowns, both to Adams.

Winner: P A.J. Cole

In the first half, Raiders punter A.J. Cole pinned the Colts deep with multiple quality boots. At one point, the Colts started four possessions in a row from inside their 10-yard line.

A roughing the kicker call on a Cole punt also set up the Raiders’ first touchdown of the day. It was part of a 15-play drive to open the second half for Las Vegas, ending in an Adams touchdown and a 14-10 Raiders disadvantage.

Loser: OC Bo Hardegree

Hardegree’s pass-heavy game plan could have worked, save for multiple questionable calls on short-yardage plays.

On a first-quarter drive that began with great field position, the Raiders trailed just 7-3. Hardegree opted for a trick play on 3rd-and-inches, which failed. As the Raiders lined up to go for it on fourth down, offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor committed a false start and the Raiders punted away a golden opportunity.

Later in the first half, Hardegree called a play-action pass on 3rd-and-1, which failed, resulting in a punt from Colts’ territory and another missed opportunity. Before the roughing call on Cole, a shotgun run on 3rd-and-1 also fell short.

In general, it appeared that a more run-heavy game plan would have gotten the job done for the Raiders, especially considering the Las Vegas offense won time of possession and slightly outgained the Colts offense. Still, Hardegree’s plan didn’t quite work and the Raiders were eliminated from playoff contention.

Loser: CB Jack Jones

After two incredible weeks in a row, cornerback Jack Jones had some rough moments in Indianapolis. In particular, two penalties on a late Colts drive handed the home team a 23-13 advantage with just over three minutes remaining in the game.

Jones was called for pass interference on a free play for the Colts, as the Raiders were offsides pre-snap. After Las Vegas forced a 50-yard field goal attempt, the Colts missed the try, giving the Raiders new life and a one-score deficit. Jones lined up offsides, though the call was awfully close. The Colts made their second go at a field goal, providing a two-score cushion for Indianapolis.

Jones wasn’t the only one to draw flags for Vegas. The Raiders had seven penalties for 54 yards, including multiple false starts on the offense.

Loser: Big-play defense

While the Raiders tried for home-run pass plays for much of the game and fell short, the Colts had two pass completions of more than 50 yards in the first half, including a 58-yard touchdown catch by WR Alec Pierce. Ironically, it was on a 3rd-and-1 play-action pass.

The play gave the Colts a 14-3 lead and allowed them to lean on running back Johnathan Taylor for the rest of the afternoon.

Loser: HC Antonio Pierce

The Raiders fell to 4-4 under interim coach Antonio Pierce after this defeat. While Las Vegas’ big wins against division foes over the last two weeks gave him the inside track on a permanent role, he’s still coaching for his job. His squad missed a golden opportunity to stay in the playoff race, and that’s got to count against Pierce to some degree.

This was a disappointing end to the Raiders playoff hopes. They were outplayed and outcoached by an average Colts team. After the emotional high from their Christmas Day win and a short week of practice before an East Coast road game, Las Vegas appeared to run out of steam.

Still, many pieces needed for a win were present — winning time of possession, nearly 300 pass yards, a solid run game, and a solid defense — but they couldn’t fit the pieces together for a win. They’ll try to close the season strong at home next week against the Broncos.

Raiders winners and losers in victory vs. Colts

Raiders winners and losers in victory vs. Colts

The Raiders went to Indianapolis with their season on the line on Sunday and beat the Colts, 23-20 after a last-second Daniel Carlson field goal sealed the deal.

It wasn’t easy getting there for Las Vegas, however. After dominating the early portion of the game and taking a 10-0 lead, mistakes by the Raiders let the Colts get back in it. Indianapolis eventually took a 17-13 advantage, but Las Vegas didn’t give up and secured its first winning season since 2016.

Here are the Raiders winners and losers in this week’s consequential win. The victory puts their record at 9-7 and sets up a mega-matchup next weekend against the Chargers at Allegiant Stadium. If Las Vegas wins that game, they’ll make the playoffs.

Winners

Hunter Renfrow

Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow had his fingerprints all over this big win. He had a 41-yard punt return early on, and he had a receiving touchdown that put the Raiders ahead, 20-17. It was on a 4th-and-2 play and Renfrow broke open in the end zone with masterful skill, making his job look easy in the process.

Renfrow also had a huge reception on the Raiders’ game-winning drive. For a second, it appeared he scored a 48-yard touchdown, but he was down by contact. The play put the Raiders in range for Carlson’s winning kick, however.

Also, Renfrow crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season, the first 1,000-yard campaign of his young career. By the looks of it, it won’t be Renfrow’s last.

Zay Jones

Speaking of firsts, WR Zay Jones notched the first 100-yard game of his career. He finished the game with eight grabs for 120 yards, including a 42-yard haul that set up Renfrow’s touchdown.

Jones made several other clutch receptions, but his 42-yard catch was huge — both within this game and for the Raiders’ identity, which for much of the year has involved taking huge chunks of yardage. If Las Vegas can have more big plays next week, it would drastically increase their chances to make the playoffs.

Derek Carr

Carr had two interceptions in this game, but he remained steady and got the job done late, surviving a string of Raiders miscues.

He was only sacked twice, but Carr had to scramble for his football life on several occasions, including the Raiders’ big 4th-and-2 touchdown to Renfrow. He finished his day with 255 yards on 24-31 passing, one touchdown, and those two picks.

Daniel Carlson

Kicker Daniel Carlson notched the game-winning kick, but for a moment, it appeared he might be a major reason Las Vegas lost this one.

Carlson was a part of the Raiders’ string of mistakes to end the first half and start the second. After a false start from offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood ruined a 3rd-and-1 try in the red zone, Carlson made one of his three field goals on the day. But he booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. The Colts took advantage of the good field position and drove for a touchdown just before halftime, reducing Vegas’ lead to 13-10.

But in the end, Carlson was clutch. It appears the Raiders made a great decision to sign him to a contract extension earlier this season.

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