Raiders run past Colts to even season record at 2-2.
Gruden lauds team after bounce-back victory: Harris clinches it with pick-six
INDIANAPOLIS >> The Raiders made things infinitely harder on themselves than was necessary, but the end result was as satisfying to coach Jon Gruden as any he can remember.
“I’m as proud of this win as any one I’ve ever had before,” Gruden said after a 31-24 win over the Indianapolis Colts Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Raiders jumped to a 21-0 lead, seized control with an epic 16-play, 82yard third-quarter drive that netted a 26-yard field goal by Daniel Carlson and ate 9:12 off the clock, and sealed the deal when Erik Harris stole a Jacoby Brissett pass and raced 30 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.
The Colts managed a late touchdown on a 48-yard pass from Brissett to Eric Ebron with 1:10 left, with the Raiders killing the clock to win the game.
The Raiders had 11 penalties for 80 yards, including three false starts on a late drive when they were attempting to keep the ball and close out the game. A fumbled exchange between Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs led the Colts’ first touchdown. Vontaze Burfict was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit, and right guard Jordan Devey had a torn pectoral which will likely end his season.
Taking all that into account, the Raiders have reason to feel good about themselves against a Colts team that was without wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, linebacker Darius Leonard and safety Malik Hooker due to injuries.
A look at who was hot and who was not as the Raiders evened their record at 2-2 before boarding a flight bound for London for next week’s “home”
game against the Chicago Bears:
Studs
DEREK CARR >> Cooled after a hot start, but didn’t throw an interception and successfully managed the game. Carr was 11 of his first 13, went 1 for 8, and in the end was 21 of 31 for 189 yards and touchdown passes of 18 yards to rookie Foster Moreau and 19 yards to Tyrell Williams. On a note of caution, Carr underwent precautionary x-rays on his lower left leg after the game. Carr wasn’t limping and his x-rays were reportedly “good” according to The Athletic, so he’ll most likely get to face his old buddy Khalil Mack and the Bears in London next Sunday.
ERIK HARRIS >> The Colts had the ball with a chance to tie, but Harris got the Raiders’ first interception of the season, jumping a route and taking a Brissett pass 30 yards for a touchdown to put the Raiders up 31-17. TREVOR DAVIS >> After being with the Raiders less than two weeks, Davis took a jet sweep from right to left and raced 60 yards for a touchdown on the first play after a Colts punt. It gave the Raiders a 14-0 lead. FOSTER MOREAU >> A rookie fourth-round pick from LSU, Moreau scored his first career touchdown on an 18-yard pass from Carr. It capped a 75-yard, 10-play game-opening drive by the Raiders for a 7-0 lead.
Carr recognized the safety drifting toward tight end Darren Waller and instead opted for Moreau, who was not the primary receiver, in the right corner of the end zone.
“Derek is an exceptional human being,” Moreau said. “To put that faith in me, we’ve been working all spring, all summer, all fall, developing a relationship and having a trust. Timing is key, relationship is pivotal, andIi was just happy to be in the position to make a play.”
DARREN WALLER >> The Raiders tight end not only had four catches in the first quarter, but also threw the last block that sprung Davis on his 60-yard jet sweep for a touchdown. The Colts did a good job with Waller after that, holding him to seven catches for 53 yards.
The Colts tightened up considerably on Waller afterward. He finished with seven receptions for 53 yards.
LAMARCUS JOYNER >> Broke up a pass early and knifed into the backfield to dump Marlon Mack for a 4-yard loss, which helped force the Colts to settle for a Vinatieri field goal rather than a touchdown. Role expanded after getting just 23 snaps last week against the Vikings.
Jacobs had two tackles for losses, a pass defensed and made seven tackles, seldom coming off the field.
“I told you all this week I speak from passion, I speak from spirit,” Joyner said. “You saw it out there today. I made some plays. I gave up some plays. But we prevailed.”
JOSH JACOBS >> On a firstand-10 play from their own 22, Jacobs failed to secure a run-pass option handoff from Carr. Justin Houston jumped on the fumble, and the Colts took it in on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Brissett to Doyle to cut the Raiders’ lead to 14-7.
Jacobs, however, had some tough second-half runs when the Raiders were working the clock in the third and fourth quarters. He gained 79 yards on 17 carries and 29 yards on two catches for a combined 108 yards from scrimmage. RUN DEFENSE >> Marlon Mack had just 11 yards on 39 carries and 18 of those came on a single play from scrimmage.
Duds
VONTAZE BURFICT >> The Raiders linebacker was ejected with 11:25 left in the half for a blow to the head of Colts tight end Jack Doyle. Burfict was disqualified following an official’s review of the play. The penalty contributed to a 67yard scoring drive which ended in Adam Vinatieri’s 26-yard field goal to cut the Raiders lead to 21-10 with 7:33 left in the half. It also left the Raiders without their defensive signal caller. TAHIR WHITEHEAD, DARYL WORLEY >> On the Colts’ first touchdown, a 6-yard pass to Doyle, Whitehead and Worley appeared confused as to who had coverage on a runpass option.
Whitehead did good work after Burfict was ejected however, running the Raiders’ defense and finishing with a team-high eight tackles.
MARLON MACK >> The Colts leading rusher had 39 yards on 11 carries, and 18 of those came on one play. Keeping Mack under control and the Colts in poor down-and-distance situations helped the Raiders play much better defense than in Week 3 against Minnesota. JACOBY BRISSETT >> The Colts’ quarterback was 24 of 46 for 265 yards and three touchdowns, but was inaccurate with a handful of throws with receivers in the clear and threw the pass that Harris returned 30 yards for a touchdown. PASS RUSH >> The Raiders opted to make Benson Mayowa, whose 3 ½ sacks lead the team, inactive. They were able to make Brissett uncomfortable at times but mostly because of good coverage and not because of particularly strong rush. Brissett was not sacked.
Carr OK
Carr, who grabbed his leg near his shin after being knocked down by former Raider Denico Autry midway through the second quarter, was tended to by the training staff on the bench but didn’t miss any action.
Right as Carr was throwing an errant third-down pass, Autry used a forearm to his back to knock him to the Lucas Oil Stadium turf. Carr limped toward the sideline as the Raiders set up for a punt, but backup quarterback Mike Glennon wasn’t ever needed as Carr was back under center for Oakland’s next possession.