INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts did their job. In a must-win game, Indianapolis held the Las Vegas Raiders in check—keeping its postseason hopes alive and moving to 9-7 on the season.
Michael Pittman Jr. and Braden Smith returned from injuries to play in Sunday's game, while Zack Moss and Kenny Moore were sidelined.
The Colts got off to a dream start in this one, going 75 yards in just six plays. Gardner Minshew hit Josh Downs for a 50-yard gain on the second play of the game. Just a couple plays later, Jonathan Taylor punched it in with a five-yard touchdown run to give Indianapolis a 7-0 lead in under three minutes of game time.
Las Vegas tacked on a 40-yard field goal in the middle of the frame to make it 7-3. That score held heading into the second quarter.
After that opening drive, the Raiders and Colts traded punts for the majority of the first half. A 58-yard touchdown connection between Minshew and Alec Pierce woke Lucas Oil Stadium up in a big way as the Colts took a 14-3 lead with under four minutes to go in the second quarter. Indianapolis took that lead into the halftime break.
Out of the half, the Raiders went 75 yards on 15 plays, taking 8:29 off the clock, capped off by a Davante Adams four-yard touchdown reception to make it 14-10. The Colts had the Raiders stopped earlier in the possession, but a roughing the kicker penalty kept the drive alive.
From there, the Colts relied on the running game and kicker Matt Gay to finish the game out. Gay hit from 38 yards, 33 yards and 45 yards to put the game on ice. The Raiders did tack on a touchdown late in the game, but it was too little too late as the Colts got the 23-20 win.
"Good win, obviously. Any time you win in this league, it's good, and we've got to get ready to go on to Houston now," head coach Shane Steichen said after the game. "I think it's the ultimate team game. To have a chance, obviously, with one game left — win and in, it’s huge. So, it's a credit to the players, credit to the coaches and we've got to do our very, very, very best come this week.”
"You don't want to get beat like we did in Cincinnati. You don't want to get beat like we did in Atlanta," Steichen said. "How are we going to respond to it? We can't let that happen week-in and week-out. You have to bounce back. Our guys have done a heck of a job bouncing back the last two times that's happened to us, and obviously, we got a great opportunity at home, again, against Houston.”
“I think one thing I’ve learned is how scrappy, how tough this team is. We knew we had tough players, but it’s a different story when you say you have a tough team," Jonathan Taylor said. "We have a tough team bouncing back from adversity no matter what happens in the game. Whether you are up, whether you are down — being able to consistently say, ‘Hey, until the clock strikes zero, let’s just keep chipping away. Let’s keep working.’”
Minshew threw for 224 yards and a touchdown, while Jonathan Taylor carried the ball 21 times for 96 yards and a score as well.
Zaire Franklin collected 10 tackles (seven solo), which allowed him to surpass his own franchise record for the most tackles in a single season since 1994.
“I mean honestly, it’s just an example of my growth and my journey that I’ve had since I’ve been in this league," Franklin said of the accomplishment. "I am thankful that my teammates depend on me, thankful that the coaches depend on me, and I am thankful that I’ve been able to make plays to help this team win football games. While I am appreciative of it and thankful that I had the opportunity to do that, getting in the playoffs is just that much sweeter.”
With the win, the Colts have positioned themselves for a "win-and-you're in" type scenario in Week 18. There is a chance that Indianapolis could win and still be left out, albeit slim. However, next week's game against the Texans is essentially a playoff game.
"I think we are going to find out a lot about ourselves," Steichen said. "Obviously, we found out a lot about ourselves throughout this season but tomorrow, we know that we've got to win — next week we have to win. Our focus is strictly on Houston now, we’re moving on to them.”
"I think that's one thing in this league, everybody's got a chance. I think there's a lot of parity. And then I think even when you're struggling a little bit there at 3-5, I think everybody pulled together instead of growing apart. We were able to get us in this position," Minshew said. "So, I think everybody is fired up for the opportunity. You know, ready to go next week.”
The Colts are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The NFL announced Sunday night the Week 18 game between the Colts and Texans will kick off Saturday, Jan. 6 at 8:15 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium.