With Derek Carr being lost for the season and the playoffs with a broken fibula, there were a lot of angry fans looking for someone to blame. The truth is, however, that there isn’t one player or coach to blame. It was just one of those freak things that happen.
Saying Carr shouldn’t have been in the game is incorrect with 11 minutes still remaining. Saying he shouldn’t have been passing is also false for the same reason and the Raiders setting up in 2nd and 18. I even looked to see if there was an outlet for him to play it safe on an underneath throw and there was, so you can’t blame that either.
Keep that in mind when considering this week’s…
Busters
Donald Penn
The sack that injured Derek Carr was given up by Penn. Trent Cole beat Penn around the edge, with Penn laying out on the turf. Cole dove at Carr’s heels causing him to move to his right and attempt to step up in the pocket where he was faced with pressure up the middle. Cole then was able to get ahold of Carr and drag him to the ground for the sack.
Let me reiterate that I do NOT blame Penn for Carr’s injury any more than I do Cole or Carr himself. But it’s impossible to ignore the ramifications of the sack that sucked the air out of the coliseum and potentially the Raiders’ season.
Ken Norton Jr
The Colts first touchdown of the game, was set up by the defense not set on a first down run in short yardage and the touchdown given up by a blown coverage, leaving Donte Moncrief wide open for a 24-yard score.
Over the final ten minutes of the game, the Raiders defense was sinking back in the dreaded ‘prevent defense’ to protect against a quick score. As a result, the Colts took yards in chunks and scored three times in the final minutes to go from a blowout at 33-14, to a one score game. Had McGloin not converted that third and long, the Colts would have taken over with 2:00 left and the ability to tie the game at the end.
Sean Smith, TJ Carrie
Luck was picking up his yards on some big plays most of this game, averaging over 15 yards per completion. The first big completion was a 45-yarder to the tight end with Nate Allen in coverage. For Allen’s part, he made up for it with an interception to end the next series.
The next big pass play was the aforementioned blown coverage for a 24-yard touchdown. The man who was supposed to be protecting the deep ball up the left sideline was Sean Smith, but he bit on a fake screen along with Dexter McDonald making for an easy touchdown for the Colts’ first score.
To Carrie’s credit, he recovered a forced fumble in the third quarter. But on the next series, he gave up a 39-yard catch to TY Hilton which put the Colts in first and goal at the 5-yard-line to set up their second touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, during the Colts late comeback attempt, Smith and Carrie both gave up 8-yard catches. Smith was called for pass interference to set up the Colts third touchdown, and Carrie gave up his second 39-yard catch of the game to Hilton to set up the Colts’ field goal to pull within one score.
Perry Riley Jr
At one point in this game, Frank Gore was averaging six yards per carry. It seemed every time the Colts ran the ball, they would pick up good yards. Riley was at least partially responsible for runs of 6, 6, 9, 3 and 5 yards (5.8 yards per carry) along with a 6-yard catch and a 10-yard catch. Of his five tackles, only one was inside 5 yards (3 yards).
Sebastian Janikowski
Following up a game in which he connected on four of four field goals with one in which he missed two extra points is probably the most Seabass thing ever.
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