That is what the playoffs are about. Great football from both sides and it came down to the final couple of minutes. In the end, it was Trey Lance and the Raiders’ defense who led the team to a trip to the AFC Championship game.
For the Colts, they headed into the game on an 8-game win streak including their upset win over the Texans in the Wildcard Round. Anthony Richardson and the Colts’ defense had a complete turnaround in terms of production. If anyone could upset the Raiders, it was them. And they almost did. They had the lead multiple times in the game including late in the fourth. However, after giving up a touchdown with 1:52 left in the game, Anthony Richardson would throw an interception that sealed the game. Speaking of A.R. interceptions, he had four. The Colts’ defense tried their best to stop the Raiders, and they did a pretty good job. Yes, the Raiders drove down the field but they constantly struggled in the redzone. You have to think that a better performance from Anthony Richardson and we would be having a completely different conversation right now. But credit to the Colts who had one of the greatest 2nd halves of a season in NFL History, definitely in the OG era. The future is bright for Coach OZ and the Colts.
For the Raiders, they played a pass-first offense, something we had not seen from them all season. I’m not sure if they were afraid to run against the Colts’ front, but they were very hesitant to do so. Thankfully, Trey Lance and Jakobi Meyers put up a masterclass. Lance would throw for 352 yards and 3 touchdowns to 0 interceptions. Meyers had 147 receiving yards and added a touchdown. Seeing a usual run-first team be able to pass like that is very surprising. That being said, I’m not sure if the Raiders can continue to win passing with that volume. The Raiders’ defense showed up as expected, forcing four turnovers. Diablo was responsible for two of those. I have to be a little negative here. The Raiders need to be better in the redzone if they plan on winning in their next game. 3 points is good, but when you get down there, you have to put up 7.
Huge win for the Raiders who will now play the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game tonight at 9:30 PM EST.
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