Raiders: 4 reasonable expectations against the Colts in Week 17
By Alex Perl
Raiders: 4 reasonable expectations against the Colts in Week 17
The Raiders Offense Struggles
When looking at the numbers, you would think the biggest factor for victory would be this Raider offense. Just outside the top-10 in yardage in all of the NFL, this has not been the case as of late.
Since the Week eight bye, the Raiders have only scored 20 or more points once. That is seven of its last eight failing to produce. The passing game of Derek Carr has been obliterated by opposing defenses routinely this second half of the season, and the running game has been an even lesser story as running back Josh Jacobs finally got his first 100-yard rushing game last week.
The shuffling of Raiders personnel and players has played a significant role in the second-half woes of the franchise, but you never receive a pass for failure. The Silver and Black have won these last two games with strong defense and time management, and this may not be enough to overcome a Colts team with a dominating offense that can put points on the board in a hurry.
The stress will be placed on the defense to produce in this one as the offense has turned into nothing more than a mediocre bunch who relies heavily on special teams to deliver points at this point in the season. The Colts do not possess one of the top defenses in the league, but now virtually 100% healthy, they should give the Raiders offense more of the same problems they have already endured this season.