5 Keys to a Colts Victory Against Raiders

Despite being the engine that moves Indy's offense, running back Jonathan Taylor was hardly utilized in the first half on Sunday against the Rams. Taylor only saw six touches in the first two quarters (one catch, five handoffs taken).

While the Colts put the ball in Taylor's hands far more in the second half, they shouldn't replicate this against the Raiders. Las Vegas allows 102.8 rushing yards per game, and Taylor is currently the NFL's top running back; denying him early impact due to volume is foolhardy.

Expect Taylor to push 25-plus touches for the Raiders tilt. Taylor is simply undeniable, and the more volume he gets, the better he plays.

Don't Allow Maxx Crosby to Wreak Havoc

The Rams' defensive front owned Indy's offensive line on Sunday. Per Pro Football Focus, the worst pass-blocking performance was by the backup guard Dalton Tucker (7.9), and the best was Bernhard Raimann (68.4), who also struggled against the likes of Byron Young.

After allowing 21 pressures to Daniel Jones, Indy will want to be better than that against the Raiders. While Las Vegas doesn't have the same talented defensive front, it still possesses one of the top edge rushers in the league: Maxx Crosby.

Crosby is a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time Second-Team All-Pro, and can ruin any team's offensive line. Crosby has 16 pressures through four games and has turned two into sacks. If Crosby causes chaos, it could snowball into something similar to what the Colts saw happen with Jared Verse and Young on Sunday.

Run a Cleaner Offense

At this point, it's no secret that the Colts' offense shot themselves in the foot multiple times on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. While a lot of focus will be on Adonai Mitchell's fumble for a touchback and holding call to negate a touchdown, he isn't the only one at fault.

Shane Steichen's play-calling also left something to be desired, as Taylor's first-half usage against the Rams indicated. Another example was the end of the game, dialing up four verticals with plenty of time left on the clock and timeouts.

While Jones should have checked it down to Taylor, the greater question was Steichen's game management when everything was on the line following an 88-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford.

Steichen will play the 23rd-ranked pass defense in the Raiders, so there's a great opportunity ahead for him to manage the game better and smooth out his call-ups for Jones & Co.

Laiatu Latu to Start a Hot Streak

After three weeks of criticism, Laiatu Latu had his breakout performance against the Rams. Latu was on fire, accumulating an impressive nine pressures on 31 passing snaps. Latu capped it off with his first sack of the 2025 NFL season.

Along with this, Latu put up a season-best four tackles, one tackle for loss, and two QB hits. Latu looked easily like the best pass-rusher for the Colts and will try to take that momentum into the matchup with Las Vegas, especially after they lost starting tackle Kolton Miller to a high ankle sprain and a hairline fracture.

If Latu can start a hot streak with a second-straight great showing, it will begin to paint a clearer picture on if he can potentially have a big-time year two with the franchise.

Put More Responsibility on Geno Smith

The Raiders picked up quarterback Geno Smith during the offseason to pair with new head coach Pete Carroll. While there was promise due to Smith's resurgence with the Seattle Seahawks, it hasn't panned out well at all.

Smith has regressed badly, throwing more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (6). Smith has also been sacked 12 times behind an inconsistent offensive line. If the Colts can take away Ashton Jeanty to a degree, it puts more responsibility on Smith.

The Colts can tee off on Smith, potentially forcing him to continue his interception struggles. Lou Anarumo's scheme mixed with the Raiders' struggling offensive line seems like a recipe for victory on paper. We'll see if that pans out on gameday.

Recommended Articles