The good and the bad: Breaking down Colts-Raiders
By PAUL SIEGFRIED
ISL Correspondent
Breaking down the Colts’ 21-17 win over the Raiders Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium:
THE GOOD
Quick Start
Indianapolis opened the game just as most had expected against the Raiders, who were coming off a 4-12 season and had more questions than answers coming into the year. Colts cornerback Greg Toler picked off a pass on the game’s opening drive, and quarterback Andrew Luck led a pair of touchdown drives, culminating in scoring passes to Reggie Wayne and Dwayne Allen. A quick, 14-0 lead, and the Colts looked like they were on their way to an easy win.
Andrew Luck’s Feet
When the game turned around in the second half and the Raiders rode quarterback Terrelle Pryor’s arm and legs to a 17-14 lead early in the fourth period, it was Luck who ran his way to the rescue for the Colts. His 19-yard scramble with five minutes to play put Indianapolis back in the lead at 21-17. Luck finished the game with 38 yards on six carries, and kept many more plays alive by running away from trouble. It marked the eighth game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime for Luck, the most of any quarterback since the start of the 2012 season.
Secondary Stars
Toler, who had an interception and a pair of forced fumbles in the preseason, added a pick on the Raiders opening drive. Safety Antoine Bethea saved the game when he intercepted Pryor at the Colts’ 6-yard line with 25 seconds left as the Raiders were trying to drive for the go-ahead score. Fellow safety LaRon Landry, one of a handful of new faces on the defense, finished with a game-high 15 tackles, including 10 solos. Bethea added 11 total tackles.
Steady Wayne
All-Pro wide receiver Reggie Wayne continues to be the most reliable weapon for the Colts. He was targeted by Luck eight times and he made all eight grabs for 96 yards and a TD. But he was limited to just two catches in the second half.
———
THE BAD
Defensive Breakdown
After some early success, the Colts front seven looked lost trying to contain Pryor. In just his second NFL start, Pryor ran for 112 yards on 13 carries, and threw for 217 yards on 19 of 29 passing. After recording 13 sacks in the preseason, Indianapolis could not put any pressure on Pryor, getting just one sack and only two tackles for loss. They only were able to get three quarterback hits. The absence of inside linebacker Pat Angerer, who is recovering from concussion symptoms, left the Colts vulnerable in the middle of the field.
Youthful Complacency
Despite the veteran presence of players like Wayne, Landry and linebacker Robert Mathis, the Colts are still relatively inexperienced. The quick 14-0 lead against a team expected to be one of the worst in the league may have caused the players to relax a bit, thinking they would have an easy day. It took falling behind in the fourth period to snap the Colts back to reality.
Offensive Line Woes
Questions about line play dogged the Colts in the offseason, prompting a number of changes. The line played well on the opening two drives, opening holes for large gains by running back Vick Ballard and giving Luck time to throw. But things quickly fell apart, and Luck was sacked four times and hit eight times. After gaining 39 yards on eight carries in the opening two drives, Ballard gained just 24 more yards on just five carries the rest of the way. Newcomer Ahmad Bradshaw ran seven times for just 26 yards.
Big Plays Missing
T.Y. Hilton was a home run hitter for the Colts a year ago as a rookie, but the wide receiver barely made an impact against the Raiders, catching three passes for just 20 yards. Fellow wideout Darius Heyward-Bey, a speedster signed away from the Raiders as a free agent, caught three balls for 26 yards. The longest pass play of the day was Luck’s 25-yard TD pass to Wayne.
Tight End Fizzle
Even though Allen made a nice catch and run for a score, it was his only catch of the game, and he was only targeted twice. Fellow tight end Coby Fleener was only targeted once, making a seven-yard catch.
Coaching Questions
The Colts pulled out some unexpected wins a year ago. But those were under Bruce Arians. This is Chuck Pagano’s real first season at the helm, and it is a different situation for the Colts, who will now be favored in most contests this time around. Pagano and his staff have to take some of the responsibility for not being able to put the Raiders away when they had the chance. The good thing is that the Colts were the more talented team on Sunday, and they will have better efforts. Pagano’s task will be to teach his team how to play with leads and how to finish games. The problems are fixable, but the schedule will get tougher, starting with Miami this week and San Francisco in two weeks.
