INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) are hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) on New Year's Eve.
The Colts lineup will look a little different Sunday with multiple players out due to injuries like RB Zack Moss. The NFL has also placed TE Andrew Ogletree on its Commissioner Exempt list after recent domestic battery allegations.
While fans at Lucas Oil will be paying attention to the game in front of them, they will also be checking scores around the league for other important matchups that could effect the Colts' chances of making the playoffs, like the Panthers (2-13) against AFC South rival Jaguars (8-7).
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First Quarter:
- Kickoff - Colts win the coin toss and choose to receive.
- 12:11 - Colts score on the opening drive with a 5-yard rushing touchdown from Jonathan Taylor. Gay's extra point is good.
- Score: Colts 7, Raiders 0
- 5:57 - The Raiders score on their opening drive with a 40-yard field goal from Daniel Carlson.
- Score: Colts 7, Raiders 3
- 0:00 - The first quarter ends with the ball going back and forth with no scoring.
Second Quarter:
- 3:53 — Gardner Minshew finds Alec Pierce deep for a 58-yard touchdown reception. Matt Gay's PAT is good.
- Score: Colts 14, Raiders 3
- 3:53 — Aiden O'Connell dumps it off to Zamir White for an 8-yard gain. Zaire Franklin makes the stop.
- 3:18 — Zamir White runs up the middle for a gain of 9 yards and a Raiders first down.
- 2:42 — Aiden O'Connell passes short to Jakobi Meyers for a gain of 14 yards and a first down.
- 2:00 — The two-minute warning sounds.
- 2:00 — DeForest Buckner sacks Aiden O'Connell for a loss of 4 yards.
- 0:54 — A.J. Cole's punt pushes the Colts offense to start at their own 6-yard line.
- 0:11 — Jonathan Taylor runs up the middle for a 4-yard gain and the end of the first half.
- Halftime: Colts 14, Raiders 3
Third Quarter:
- 15:00 — Matt Gay's 65-yard kickoff falls in the end zone for a touchback.
- 14:59 — The Raiders take over at their own 35-yard line. Zamir White runs up the middle for a gain of 4 yards.
- 13:51 — Aiden O'Connell passes short to Davante Adams for a gain of 11 yards. Zaire Franklin makes the tackle.
- 13:17 — Zamir White runs for a gain of 9 yards.
- 12:35 — Tyquan Lewis and Grover Steward stop Zamir White for a loss of 1 yard, bringing up a Raiders 4th down.
- 12:35 — E.J. Speed is flagged for roughing the kicker after A.J. Cole's 51-yard punt falls into the end zone. The Raiders move to the Colts' 36-yard line.
- 11:35 — Zamir White runs left for a gain of 2 yards.
- Colts' center Ryan Kelly is questionable to return to the game with an ankle injury.
- 10:46 — Aiden O'Connell passes to Austin Hooper for a gain of 8 yards, moving Las Vegas to the Colts' 26-yard line. Raiders tackle Thayer Munford Jr. is injured on the play.
- 10:34 — O'Connell hits Hooper for a gain of 13 yards, bringing the Raiders to the Colts' 13-yard line.
- 9:51 — Zamir White gets to the Colts' 8-yard line after a 5-yard gain.
- 8:36 — Brandon Bolden brings up 1st and Goal for the Raiders after a 4-yard run up the middle.
- 7:54 — Zamir White runs up the middle, but is stopped short of the goal line by Zaire Franklin.
- 7:19 — Dayo Odeyingbo makes a big play and stops Zamir White for a loss of 3 yards to bring up 3rd and Goal.
- 6:31 — Out of the shotgun, Aiden O'Connell hits Davante Adams right at the goal line for a Raiders touchdown. Daniel Carlson's PAT is good.
- Score: Colts 14, Raiders 10
- 6:31 — Daniel Carlson's kickoff goes into the end zone for a touchback.
- 6:27 — Two consecutive incomplete passes by Gardner Minshew bring up a quick 3rd and 10 for the Colts.
- 6:22 — Gardner Minshew passes short up the middle to Kylen Granson for a gain of 13 yards and a Colts' first down.
- 5:58 — Minshew finds Mo Alie-Cox for a gain of 14 yards and another Colts first down.
- 4:21 — Colts go for it on 4th down, Gardner Minshew finds Michael Pittman Jr. for a huge 20-yard gain and a first down. A flag is thrown on the play, but after discussions, the referees determined there was no penalty committed.
- 1:17 — After a frustrating sequence of plays that sees the Colts' drive stall at the Raiders' 19-yard line, Matt Gay kicks a 38-yard field goal to at least put more points on the board and give the Colts a one-touchdown lead.
- Score: Colts 17, Raiders 10
- 0:41 — Aiden O'Connell keeps it and runs for a gain of 3 yards. The clock runs out on the third quarter.
Fourth Quarter
- 15:00 — Zamir White is stopped for no gain.
- 14:19 — Jaylon Jones intercepts Aiden O'Connell's pass and returns it for a touchdown. However, Jones is penalized for pass interference and the touchdown is nullified.
- 13:14 — The Colts manage to stop the Raiders and bring up 4th down. A.J. Cole's 21-yard punt goes out of bounds at the Colts' 24-yard line.
- 13:14 — Jonathan Taylor starts the Colts' drive with a big play and a first down. Taylor rushes for 15 yards up the middle.
- 12:34 — JT again gets the ball and runs up the middle for a 6-yard gain.
- 11:55 — Taylor gets his third straight carry and runs for a gain of 3 yards.
- 11:12 — JT gets his FOURTH consecutive carry in a toss from Gardner Minshew and runs it near midfield for a Colts first down.
- 10:33 — Staying on the ground, Minshew hands off to Trey Sermon, who runs for a gain of 22 yards, bringing the Colts to the Raiders' 27-yard line.
- 7:22 — Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson are unable to move the chains, bringing up fourth down. The Colts appear to go for it, but in reality were trying to burn the clock and force the defense offsides.
- 7:34 — Matt Gay kicks through a 33-yard field goal to give the Colts a 10-point lead mid-way through the final quarter.
- Score: Colts 20, Raiders 10
- 7:34 — Matt Gay's kickoff falls in the end zone for a touchback.
- 7:21 — Aiden O'Connell finds Jakobi Meyers for a 13-yard gain and a Raiders first down.
- 6:54 — Three straight incomplete passes from Aiden O'Connell brings up 4th and 10 for Las Vegas.
- 6:50 — On 4th down, Aiden O'Connell hits Tre Tucker for a 16-yard gain and a Raiders first down.
- 6:24 — O'Connell finds Davante Adams for a 13-yard gain and another Raiders first down.
- 6:00 — O'Connell again finds Davante Adams for a 19-yard gain bringing the Raiders to the Colts' 19-yard line.
- 4:41 — JuJu Brents breaks up a pass intended for Davante Adams to bring up 4th and 6 for the Raiders.
- 4:35 — Daniel Carlson kicks a 33-yard field goal.
- Score: Colts 20, Raiders 13
- 4:35 — Carlson's kickoff goes into the end zone for a touchback.
- 4:34 — Jonathan Taylor runs up the middle for a gain of 11 yards and a Colts first down.
- 3:51 — JT again runs up the middle, this time for a 2-yard gain. Las Vegas calls its first timeout of the half.
3:34 — Gardner Minshew's pass intended for Michael Pittman Jr. is incomplete. However, the Raiders commit two penalties on the play, one being a defensive offside and the other being defensive pass interference. This brings the ball to the Colts' 38-yard line. - 3:28 — Trey Sermon runs up the middle for a 3-yard gain. Las Vegas calls its second timeout of the half.
- 3:20 — On 3rd & 3, Trey Sermon is stopped by Max Crosby for a loss of 2 yards. Las Vegas calls its final timeout of the game.
- 3:15 — Matt Gay lines up for a 50-yard field goal. The kick has the distance, but bounces off the right upright. Raiders CB James Jones is penalized for offsides, giving Gay and the Colts another chance at a field goal.
- 3:11 — Matt Gay kicks a 45-yard field goal to extend the Colts lead.
- Score: Colts 23, Raiders 13
- 3:11 — The Raiders take over with roughly three minutes to play. O'Connell passes deep to Tre Tucker for a 20-yard gain.
- 2:25 — O'Connell finds Adams for a 16-yard gain and a Raiders first down.
- 1:56 — The two-minute warning sounds after O'Connell finds Adams for a 15-yard gain bringing the Raiders inside the Colts' 20-yard line.
- 1:56 — Aiden O'Connell passes short to Jakobi Meyers for a gain of 10-yards. The clock drains significantly between plays due to confusion about a Jakobi Meyers' possible injury.
- E.J. Speed left the game with injury.
- 1:31 — O'Connell finds Adams, but the Colts' defense doesn't allow a touchdown, stopping Adams short of the goal line.
- 1:13 — The Colts defense stuffs Aiden O'Connell, who attempts a QB sneak.
- 0:43 — Davante Adams makes a miraculous catch in the end zone for a Raiders touchdown. Daniel Carlson's PAT is good.
- Score: Colts 23, Raiders 20
- 0:43 — The Colts recover the Raiders' onside kick. Minshew kneels out the clock. Colts win!
- FINAL: Colts 23, Raiders 20
Associated Press pregame look:
RAIDERS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Aidan O'Connell. The rookie last played in Indianapolis a year ago when he led Purdue to the Big Ten championship game. Now he's back, hoping to put the Raiders in playoff position. He had a rough game last week, completing just nine passes for 62 yards — all in the first quarter. Yes, he won, but he needs to be much sharper this week.
COLTS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Jonathan Taylor. The 2021 NFL rushing champ struggled last week after missing the previous three games following surgery on his right thumb. This could be a chance to get back on track. He's played the Raiders each of the past three years and has topped the 100-yard mark each time, running a total of 62 times for 405 yards and four scores.
KEY MATCHUP: Raiders pass defense vs. Gardner Minshew. In a season where so much went wrong for Las Vegas, its pass defense has been solid. The Raiders could copy Atlanta's plan by crowding the line of scrimmage and challenging Indy's receivers to beat them deep, especially if Michael Pittman Jr. doesn't play. Regardless, though, Minshew must solve the puzzle of pushing the ball downfield.
KEY INJURIES: Las Vegas RB Josh Jacobs (quadriceps) and tight end Michael Mayer (toe) didn't practice Wednesday. Jacobs has missed the past two games and Mayer didn't play at Kansas City. Several players were limited — DE Maxx Crosby (knee), DE Malcolm Koonce (ribs), LT Kolton Miller (shoulder), C Andre James (ankle) and T Jermaine Eluemunor (knee). Crosby has been a regular on the injury report, but he hasn't missed a game. Miller has had a lingering injury that has cost him most of the past six games. ... Pittman re-entered the concussion protocol last weekend after suffering additional symptoms. Starting S Julian Blackmon went on injured reserve Tuesday with a shoulder injury, and RT Braden Smith (knee) has missed the past three games.
SERIES NOTES: Road teams have won five straight games in this series, going back to 2018. The Oakland Raiders were the most recent home team to win, in 2016. ... These clubs have met twice in the playoffs, with the winner of both earning the franchise's first Super Bowl titles. The Baltimore Colts won the AFC title game in January 1971. The Oakland Raiders won a memorable overtime playoff game on the road in December 1977. ... Sunday's game marks the second straight year one of these teams has had an interim coach. Indy gave Jeff Saturday his first — and only — win last season at Las Vegas. Antonio Pierce hopes to replicate that victory celebration this weekend.
STATS AND STUFF: Las Vegas won its first two games after Josh McDaniels was fired and its past two under Pierce to overcome a 3-5 start and get back in the playoff hunt. ... Since getting shut out by Minnesota, the Raiders have scored 83 points in wins over the Chargers and Chiefs. Las Vegas scored 76 total points in Pierce's first five games as interim coach. ... O'Connell is 4-4 as the starter, throwing eight TD passes. Five of his seven interceptions came in road games. ... RB Zamir White entered last week's game with 193 yards rushing in two NFL seasons before getting a career-best 145 in a victory over the Chiefs. ... RB Josh Jacobs needs 195 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark, but has missed the past two games with an injured quad. ... WR Davante Adams needs 15 catches and 28 yards for the fifth 100-catch, 1,000-yard season of his career — his first with the Raiders. ... DE Maxx Crosby already has a career-best 13 1/2 sacks this season. ... Las Vegas scored two defensive TDs in a 7-second span against Kansas City. ... Indy has lost two of its past three overall but has won two straight at home after starting the season 1-4 at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Colts close out the season with two straight home games. ... Coach Shane Steichen is trying to become the fifth consecutive non-interim coach to lead Indy to the playoffs in his first season. ... Minshew is 6-5 as Indy's starter this season and needs one more win to set a new single-season career high for victories. ... Taylor, Zack Moss and rookie QB Anthony Richardson have 14 of Indy's 17 TD runs this season. Minshew has the other three. ... Pittman's 99 receptions this season are more than the Colts' next two receivers have combined. Josh Downs has 63 and Alec Pierce has 31. ... LB Zaire Franklin needs six tackles to break the single-season franchise mark he set last season (166). ... The Colts' 47 sacks are a single-season franchise record. Sacks became an official stat in 1982. ... Indy had no takeaways last week, ending what was the league's longest active streak of consecutive games forcing a turnover (19).
FANTASY TIP: Taylor seems like the obvious play this week, given his history against Las Vegas. The Raiders also have struggled to stop the run, allowing more than 122 yards per game and are just 167 yards away from allowing 2,000 yards rushing this season.