Last Week: Raiders 17, Broncos 13
Aside from a 95-second stretch before halftime during which they turned the ball over twice, the Raiders dominated the Broncos at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas outgained Denver 342-158 yards—and 5.1 yards per play to 4 yards per play—while its defense stymied backup quarterback Drew Lock.
The Broncos scored all but three of their points in a short stretch that saw both Raiders running back Josh Jacobs fumble and quarterback Derek Carr throw an interception deep in Raider territory. But both Las Vegas stars made up for their mistakes overall, with Jacobs compiling his best stats of the season—129 rushing yards on 27 carries—and Carr completing 20 of 25 pass attempts for 201 yards and a touchdown.
This Week: Raiders (8-7) at Colts (9-6)
When: 10:00 a.m.
Where: Lucas Oil Stadium
TV: Fox (channel 5)
Radio: 920-AM, 92.3-FM
Betting line: Colts -7.5, over/under: 45.5
Matchup: The Raiders’ ultimate prize for beating the Broncos: They now control their own destiny. Win the next two games—against the Colts and Chargers—and they’re in the playoffs. It won’t be easy, though, especially not this week. Indianapolis might be the hottest team in the AFC, having won six of its past seven games.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL with 1,626 rushing yards and is picking up Most Valuable Player buzz. Indianapolis has an equally impactful force on the other side of the ball in linebacker Darius Leonard, but he’s on the COVID-19 list and won’t be eligible to play for a second straight week as an unvaccinated player.
Indianapolis helped eliminate Las Vegas from playoff contention last year, beating the Raiders 44-27 at Allegiant Stadium.
Raider to Watch: Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins
Hankins was listed as questionable going into the game against the Broncos but ended up not playing due to a back injury. It would seem that he’d be ready to return against the Colts, and the Raiders better hope so.
It’s no secret that Hankins is the linchpin of the Raiders’ rush defense, and the Colts are the best running team in the league. They’re averaging 5.1 yards per rush as a team and should have no problem matching that this week if the Raiders are without their quick, 6-foot-3, 340-pound gap-filler.
Hankins made the biggest play of the game the last time he was on the field, stopping Browns running back Nick Chubb on a late 3rd-and-3 play to pave the way to a Raiders’ victory two weeks ago.
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