Colts get needed boost from win over Bills
It took one win to snap a four-game losing streak and the Indianapolis Colts are noticeably upbeat as they prepare for a Sunday road trip to California to face the Oakland Raiders.
While neither the Colts (2-5) or Raiders (1-5) have won enough, the Colts were encouraged by a dominant 37-5 home rout of the Buffalo Bills while the Raiders, in their bye week, traded away wide receiver Amari Cooper, a former first-round pick, to Dallas for a first-round selection.
The Colts were also enthused on Wednesday about the return to practice of Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle, who hasn’t played since suffering a hip injury in a Week 2 win at Washington. Rookie defensive end Tyquan Lewis, a second-round pick who has been on injured reserve all season with a toe injury, also practiced, which means the team has three weeks to decide on bringing him back.
“I shouldn’t say it boggles my mind, but it really does,” Colts first-year head coach Frank Reich said of how winning boosts the energy level in the locker room. “This is just an emotional game. Win or lose, the whole building feels it. So after a win, there definitely is more energy, there’s a great vibe in meetings and in the building.
“So really we have to focus on that’s great, let’s feed off that but still keep that same grit and determination that we’re going to fight just as hard even though you have the positive vibe.”
The Colts are road favorites to win a second consecutive game, which would be the first time that’s happened since midway through 2016. A bye week awaits after this game, which means this team needs to sustain positive momentum to get back into the playoff picture in an AFC South Division where the Colts trail the first-place Houston Texans (4-3) by two games.
“Yeah, a little bit,” quarterback Andrew Luck said of the team being more enthused. “I do think with Frank’s leadership, it’s been a steady building. Every week, it’s been, ‘OK, it doesn’t matter what we did last week. We’re now onto a new one-week cycle.’
“Certainly a win and a positive result maybe gives a little more confidence, but today, it’s so what? Who cares? We’re onto the next one. It’s a tough trip to Oakland. Some guys on this team have done it before. Two years ago, we came back with a bad result (33-25 loss). So we know it’s always tough out there. They’re a team that’s hungry. We’re a team that’s hungry. It will be a good match.”
The Colts have reason to be more confident after their then-30th-ranked defense in points allowed didn’t surrender an offensive touchdown against the Bills and forced five turnovers. The team also didn’t allow an offensive touchdown in its other victory, 21-9 at Washington in Week 2.
While it’s a given that Luck and the offense can be counted upon to score – the Colts are 10th in points scored at 27 per game – the most noticeable improvement against the Bills was no turnovers. The Colts had three interceptions and a lost fumble the previous week, a 42-34 road loss to the New York Jets.
Luck is coming off a four-TD passing game, the 11th time he’s accomplished that in his career. He’s completed 203 of 311 passes for 1,948 yards with 20 TDs and eight interceptions. The pass attempts are a league high. His TD total is second only to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes with 22.
It helped that four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver T.Y. Hilton returned to the Colts lineup after missing two games with a hamstring injury. Hilton caught two scoring passes against the Bills.
“We must stay vigilant in all areas,” Luck said.
The Raiders have been surrounded by a cloud of uncertainty since preseason, when they shocked the NFL world by trading one of the league’s best defensive players, defensive end Khalil Mack, to Chicago. The trade of Cooper means one less speedy wide receiver for the Colts to cover. Head coach Jon Gruden, who returned in the offseason to where he coached four seasons through 2001, has endured constant criticism about a franchise that in addition to the trades has alienated fans with its announced move to Las Vegas in 2020.
Oakland was listless to say the least in its most recent game, a 27-3 loss to Seattle in London. The Raiders are 28th in points scored (18.3 per game) and 29th in points allowed (29.3 per game).
A Colts pass rush that is tied for fourth with 21 sacks will look to get after Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who has been sacked 17 times. A Pro Bowl selection each of the past three years, Carr has struggled largely due to a lack of support around him. Running back Marshawn Lynch was placed on injured reserve this week with a groin injury that will require surgery.
Carr is well aware of what’s being said about the Raiders. He tweeted on Tuesday: “I’m a Raider. It’s not a ‘popular’ thing to be a Raider right now, but I am and I love it. I love the struggle of trying to fight back for our city when not a lot of people believe in us. People can try all they want to tear us apart, but it’s not happening to the real ones. (Skull emoji.)”
Not that any of the Raiders’ issues concern the Colts.
“It’s always a unique experience to go out to ‘The Black Hole,'” Reich said of the famed, end-zone cheering section of rabid Raiders fans. “Great football tradition out there. So we’re looking forward to building off the momentum from last week, but let’s hit the reset button and the goal this week is to be 1-0.”
SERIES HISTORY: 15th regular-season meeting. Raiders lead series, 8-6. The Colts have won four of the past five meetings, although the Raiders prevailed in the most recent game, 33-25 in 2016 at Oakland. The two most memorable games were in the playoffs when the Colts franchise was in Baltimore. Tight end Dave Casper’s “Ghost to the Post” catch in overtime sparked a 37-31 overtime victory in 1977 in Baltimore. The Colts defeated the Raiders 27-17 in the first-ever meeting in an AFC Divisional playoff game in 1971 in Baltimore.
