Indianapolis Colts at Las Vegas Raiders, Week 14: AFC Teams Vying for Playoffs

The last month of the year means the NFL games have added importance for teams fighting to make the postseason.

That applies to both the Indianapolis Colts (8-4) and Las Vegas Raiders (7-5), who meet Sunday at Allegiant Stadium (4:05 p.m., CBS-TV) in the city of bright lights and people wagering for good fortune.

It’s a safe bet that the winner will improve their playoff chances dramatically because the Colts are in the final wild-card spot in seventh, only one game ahead of the Raiders. A Colts win translates to two games ahead of the Raiders with three to play. But the Baltimore Ravens (7-5) are also lurking one game back, and beat the Colts. A Raiders win would give them the head-to-head edge over the Colts for that seventh spot.

“We’re in December and determine our own destiny,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said Friday. “That’s a good place to be.”

Both teams pulled out late wins the previous week as the Colts stopped the Houston Texans on a late Anthony Walker fumble recovery for a 26-20 triumph while the Raiders averted an embarrassing loss to the winless N.Y. Jets when Derek Carr threw a 47-yard TD pass to Henry Ruggs III with five seconds remaining for a 31-28 escape.

The Colts’ strength is defense whereas the Raiders rely upon offense. Both teams have shown they can compete with elite teams — the Colts knocked off the Packers (9-3) at home while the Raiders handed the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) their only loss, and it was on the road at Arrowhead Stadium. The Raiders almost swept the Chiefs, losing on a late touchdown pass at home.

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs’ status is worth noticing. One of the NFL’s best young rushers missed the previous game with an ankle injury and is listed as questionable for Sunday.

Here’s all you need to know about Colts-Raiders.

Broadcast Information

— Sunday, Dec. 13, at 4:05 p.m. (EDT).

— Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.

— TV: CBS-4, Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Charles Davis (color), Evan Washburn (sideline).

— Radio: WFNI 1070-AM ESPN “The Fan,” WLHK 97.1 HANK-FM, Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (color), Larra Overton (sideline), Bill Brooks (pregame/postgame analyst); Sports USA, Larry Kahn (play-by-play), Hank Bauer (color).

All-Time Series

— Raiders lead, 10-8 (1-1 in playoffs). Raiders have won two of three.

— Last meeting, Week 4, 2019. Raiders won, 31-24.

Coaches

Colts: head coach Frank Reich; offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni; defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, special teams Bubba Ventrone.

Raiders: head coach Jon Gruden; offensive coordinator Greg Olson; defensive coordinator Paul Guenther; assistant head coach/special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia.

Last Week

Colts won at Houston Texans, 26-20.

Raiders won at N.Y. Jets, 31-28.

Injury Reports

Colts

— OUT: P Rigoberto Sanchez (illness).

— QUESTIONABLE: LT Anthony Castonzo (knee); DT/DE Tyquan Lewis (hip); LB Bobby Okereke (ankle).

Raiders

— OUT: CB Damon Arnette (concussion/neck); S Jeff Heath (concussion).

— QUESTIONABLE: S Johnathan Abram (knee); RB Josh Jacobs (ankle); CB Isaiah Johnson (groin).

Storylines/Things to Watch

— Pressure Equals Turnovers: Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has fumbled 11 times, eight lost, and taken 19 of the team’s 21 sacks allowed. He’s thrown just five interceptions with 22 touchdown passes, which means he takes care of the ball and makes plays when given enough time. A Colts pass rush that had five sacks of Houston’s Deshaun Watson needs to speed up Carr’s clock to generate takeaways. Defensive end Justin Houston had three sacks with a forced fumble and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner had two sacks against Watson. Each had three quarterback hits.

— Strong start: The Colts scored a season-high 24 points in the first half of Sunday’s win at Houston, but the defense continued its confounding trend of struggling before halftime and then playing lights out afterward. The Texans scored 20 points in the first half, then were blanked in the second half. The Colts are allowing 22.8 points per game, but just 7.3 in the second half. The Raiders defense ranks in the bottom third of most key categories. It would be ideal if the Colts could avoid trading scores and then relying on a halftime defensive fix. As strong as the Colts defense played last week, it should be noted the offense failed to score in the second half. Playoff teams prove their value by playing consistent and complementary football when it matters most.

— Limit Ground Gains: The Colts expect Raiders second-year running back Josh Jacobs to play after missing the last game with an ankle injury. That means accounting for a dynamic talent who has rushed for 782 yards and nine TDs as well as catch 27 passes for 175 yards. The Raiders are 10th in rushing offense, but struggled without him the past two road games in getting blown out at Atlanta and almost losing to the winless N.Y. Jets before a 47-yard TD pass in the final seconds. Buckner anchors a defensive line that is key for stopping the run. The Colts are fourth in fewest rushing yards allowed per play and seventh in rushing defense. Minimize the run and the Raiders become one-dimensional, which puts more of the burden on Carr.

Intriguing Matchups

— Colts LB Darius Leonard vs. Raiders TE Darren Waller: At 6-6 and 255, Waller’s size can be a mismatch because he has the strength and speed to get open. Leonard is one of the best playmakers at his position because of his speed and tenacity. Linebacker Bobby Okereke has speed, too, but he’s missed the past two games with an ankle injury and is questionable. Perhaps nickel cornerback Kenny Moore II could provide help, too, although he’d be almost a foot smaller. Waller had a breakthrough 2019 with 90 catches for 1,145 yards and three TDs. This season, he’s at 77 catches for 742 yards with seven TDs. Last week, Waller became just the sixth tight end in NFL history with 200 yards when he hit that mark on 13 receptions and scored twice against the Jets.

— Colts LT Anthony Castonzo vs. Raiders DE Maxx Crosby: If Castonzo can play after missing a game and a half with an MCL knee sprain, the 10th-year pro would provide a lift to an O-line that lost backup Le’Raven Clark for the season last week and is thin at the position. Chaz Green would be the other option, and he’s inconsistent at best. The Colts signed Will Holden off Baltimore’s practice squad. Crosby debuted with 10 sacks as a rookie in 2019 and leads the Radiers with six this year, including two of New England’s Cam Newton and another of Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. If Castonzo can tough it out, that allows the Colts to utilize more of the playbook. If Castonzo is a no-go or limited, Green and/or Holden will require blocking help from tight ends and running backs.

— Colts CB Rock Ya-Sin vs. Raiders WR Henry Ruggs III: After being flagged repeatedly for costly penalties in back-to-back weeks, Ya-Sin was quiet at Houston. The hunch is he could draw Ruggs, a speedster who caught the game-winning, 47-yard TD pass with 5 seconds remaining last week. The 12th overall pick in April’s draft has just 20 receptions for 396 yards and two TDs, but don’t overlook him. He has the deep-threat speed to stretch a defense, which the Raiders will try to do with some long-range shots. Ya-Sin has been penalized for using his hands too much. He has to be disciplined and keep those feet moving to maintain position or any contact on the long passes could go against him. Ya-Sin realizes he has that reputation with officials.

Projected Weather

— Allegiant Stadium is a dome.

Referee Assignment

— Head referee: Clete Blakeman (11th season as referee, started as field judge in 2008 for two years). Click here to see all referee assignments for Week 14.

Betting Lines

— Favorite: Colts (-3).

— Over/Under: 52.

2020 Season Leaders

Colts

— Passing: QB Philip Rivers (3,263 yards).

— Rushing: RB Jonathan Taylor (609 yards).

— Receiving: WR T.Y. Hilton (518 yards).

— Touchdowns: RB Nyheim Hines (7).

— Tackles: LB Darius Leonard (80).

— Sacks: DE Justin Houston (7.5).

— Interceptions: CB Kenny Moore II (3).

Raiders

— Passing: QB Derek Carr (3,027 yards).

— Rushing: RB Josh Jacobs (782 yards).

— Receiving: TE Darren Waller (742 yards).

— Touchdowns: Jacobs (9).

— Tackles: LB Nick Kwiatkoski (62).

— Sacks: DE Maxx Crosby (6).

— Interceptions: S Jeff Heath (3).

Comparing 2020 Stats

Colts

— Total offense: 13th (370.1 YPG).

— Scoring: 10th (27.3 PPG).

— Passing offense: 11th (265.3 YPG).

— Sacks allowed: 3rd (15).

— Rushing offense: 21st (104.8 YPG).

— Third-down offense: 29th (36.84%).

— Red-zone offense: T16th (59.09%).

— Total defense: 5th (319 YPG).

— Scoring defense: 10th (22.8 PPG).

— Passing defense: 7th (218.1 YPG).

— Sacks: 15th (28).

— Rushing defense: 7th (100.9 YPG).

— Third-down defense: 15th (40.67%).

— Red-zone defense: T21st (65.79%).

— Time of possession: 8th (31:02).

— Turnover differential: T4th (+7).

Raiders

— Total offense: 15th (364.8 YPG).

— Scoring: 11th (26.9 PPG).

— Passing offense: 17th (243.6 YPG).

— Sacks allowed: T10th (21).

— Rushing offense: 10th (121.2 YPG).

— Third-down offense: 3rd (48.67%).

— Red-zone offense: T16th (59.09%).

— Total defense: 22nd (378.2 YPG).

— Scoring defense: 28th (28.9 PPG).

— Passing defense: 24th (257.1 YPG).

— Sacks: T29th (15).

— Rushing defense: 20th (121.1 YPG).

— Third-down defense: 29th (48.34%).

— Red-zone defense: 28th (68%).

— Time of possession: 7th (31:13).

— Turnover differential: T20th (-2).

Colts Notes

— Quarterback Philip Rivers needs one game with three-or-more TD passes to tie Dan Marino (62) for the sixth-most such games in NFL history.

— Kicker Rodrigo Blankenship needs one point to surpass Edgerrin James (102) for the third-most points by a rookie in franchise history. And Blankenship is just three points shy of passing Mike Vanderjagt (104) for the second-most points by a rookie in franchise history.

— Defensive end Justin Houston is three sacks away from 100 in his career. He would become just the 35th player in league history to reach that plateau since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

— Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton’s next TD reception will enable him to tie Lenny Moore (48) for the fifth-most receiving TDs in franchise history.

— Linebacker Darius Leonard needs three tackles to surpass Jerrell Freeman (366) for the second-most tackles in a player’s first three seasons in franchise history.

— CB Xavier Rhodes needs two tackles to reach 400 in his career.

Click Before The Game

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NFL Picks: Week 14

Colts’ Braden Smith, Kenny Moore II Named to PFF’s ‘Week 13 Team of the Week’

Cheers & Jeers: Colts-Texans, Part I

Inside AFC South: Assistant Coaches Making a Name for Themselves

Snap! How Quickly Colts’ Fate Changes

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