Inlägg av liny195 i Oct 24, 2019 8:10:24 GMT 1
OAKLAND www.coltsfanshop.com/Marshall-Faulk-Jersey , Calif. — Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders were flying high the last time they faced the Indianapolis Colts.Carr threw three touchdown passes to lead Oakland to its 12th win of the season on Christmas Eve in 2016, but got knocked out late in that game with a broken ankle. That has sent the Raiders into a downward spiral they still haven’t escaped.The Raiders (1-5) are reeling as they head into Sunday’s game against the Colts (2-5), having traded away No. 1 receiver Amari Cooper to Dallas earlier in the week after previously dealing away star pass rusher Khalil Mack before the season.The trio of Carr, Cooper and Mack were the foundation pieces in Oakland, but now only Carr remains and the team is once again rebuilding.“For me, being in my fifth year, it’s hard if I’m being honest,” Carr said. “Just going out there, I feel like we’ve had to do this a couple of times in my early five years. That part is hard. At the same time, it doesn’t change my mindset.”The Raiders have gone just 7-17 since that victory over the Colts and changed coaches, with Jon Gruden coming in this season to replace the fired Jack Del Rio.Carr’s level of play has also dropped, with him throwing 29 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in his 21 games since then Eric Ebron Jersey , compared to 38 TD passes and 13 interceptions in the previous 21 games.“I definitely feel like a better player,” Carr said. “I’m smarter. I know more. Talent-wise, I think after last year just recovering from injury, I’m back to my strength and my speed how I want it to be. Absolutely I believe that I have nothing but the best out in front of me. I really do believe that.”Colts coach Frank Reich, who was an assistant in the AFC West with the Chargers for Carr’s first two seasons in the NFL, had plenty of praise for Carr even if his production has dropped of late.“He has really good arm talent,” Reich said. “He sees the field really well. He can make all the throws. He can drive the ball all over the field. He can throw the touch pass. I just think he shows good instincts. I think he has good feel in the pocket. This is a guy who I think can put a lot of points on the board leading an offense.”Here are some other things to watch for Sunday’s game:LINING UPColts general manager Chris Ballard made the offensive line a focal point during the offseason. It shows. For the first time this season, the Colts used the same starting five in consecutive games and they delivered by paving the way for Marlon Mack to rush for a career high 126 yards. It’s only the fifth 100-yard game during Andrew Luck‘s seven NFL seasons. Also, Luck has been sacked only once in his last 125 pass attempts after getting sacked 166 times in his first 77 career games.“We must stay vigilant in all areas and we’ve got a great challenge against an aggressive Oakland defense, a defense that’s tough to figure out,” Luck said.WHERE’S THE BEAST?Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch went on injured reserve this week with a groin injury, leaving a big void in Oakland’s offense. Lynch leads the Raiders with 372 yards rushing. Now the bulk of the load will go to Doug Martin Matt Slauson Color Rush Jersey , whose 3.0 yards per carry the past three seasons is the lowest in the NFL among players with at least 150 attempts. Third-down back Jalen Richard could also take on a bigger role as a runner, and DeAndre Washington figures to get his first action of the season after being hampered by a knee injury in training camp.“You can’t bring another Marshawn Lynch into the game, but we have a solid group of backs who can get the job done,” Richard said.MITCHELL’S RETURNColts safety Mike Mitchell was out of the league until two weeks ago. Now, he’s about to make his first trip back to the Black Hole since he left Oakland in 2012. And while Mitchell said he enjoyed the fans while he was there, the AFC’s reigning defensive player of the week isn’t sure what to expect. But the Raiders’ second-round draft pick in 2009 is just glad to have found a home.“I could be winning an award this week, they could be calling for my head next week,” Mitchell said. “I just take everything with a grain of salt.”JUST FOR KICKSThe final game of Gruden’s first stint as Raiders coach ended with a kick by Adam Vinatieri. On a snowy night in New England on Jan. 19, 2002, Vinatieri kicked a 23-yard field goal in overtime to lead the Patriots to a 16-13 victory.The game was most notable for the “Tuck Rule,” which turned a potential game-sealing strip sack in regulation for Oakland into an incomplete pass, setting the stage for Vinatieri to tie the game with an improbable 45-yard field goal in the snow. Vinatieri is still kicking and needs five points to break Morten Andersen’s NFL career scoring record (2 www.coltsfanshop.com/Anthony-Walker-Jersey ,544 points). But Vinatieri’s status is in doubt this week because of an injured groin. The Indianapolis Colts are Texas’ team. Or they at least own Texas after the last two weeks.Just call them the Lone Star Colts.Last week, the Colts ended Houston’s league-leading nine-game winning streak with a 24-21 victory over the Texans. On Sunday, with the Texans rooting for the Cowboys, the Colts ended Dallas’ league-leading five-game winning streak.The Colts did it by handing the Cowboys their first shutout since Nov. 16, 2003, when the Patriots beat Dallas 12-0. That was the third-longest streak in the NFL.Indianapolis won 23-0, bending but not breaking, to stay alive in the AFC South race. Houston is 10-4 after beating the Jets on Saturday, Colts two games behind with two games to play. (The Titans also are on their way to winning, which will keep them two games back.)The Cowboys had a chance to clinch the NFC East but will have to wait until next week after Washington’s last-play win.The Cowboys gained 292 yards and reached at least midfield on all seven series against a Colts defense directed by their former linebackers coach, Matt Eberflus. But the Cowboys shot themselves in the foot (or feet) all day. They had a field goal blocked; they had a defensive holding penalty on Jeff Heath negate an interception; they went only 1-for-5 on fourth down and decided to punt on another fourth-down play after a holding penalty on Joe Looney; Looney’s hold was one of four on the offensive line, with the Cowboys penalized nine times total; fullback Jamize Olawale dropped a touchdown pass; and the Cowboys were minus-1 in turnover ratio.Marlon Mack became the first running back to gain 100 yards against the Cowboys since Week Three when Chris Carson had 102 yards on 32 carries. Mack gained 139 yards and scored two touchdowns on 27 carries www.coltsfanshop.com , his third-career 100-yard day.Andrew Luck completed 16 of 27 passes for 192 yards. T.Y. Hilton made five catches for 85 yards.Adam Vinatieri, who was on the Patriots’ team that shutout the Cowboys in 2003, kicked field goals of 43, 44 and 23 yards.Colts rookie defensive lineman Tyquan Lewis, playing only his sixth game, had the first two sacks of his career. Denico Autry blocked a field goal and made a sack.Ezekiel Elliott, who had 100 yards in four of the past five games, ran for 87 yards on 18 carries. He also caught seven passes for 41 yards.Prescott went 24-of-39 for 206 yards and an interception, while Amari Cooper caught four passes for only 32 yards.