As the Indianapolis Colts (2-1) returned home Sunday and played in front of their fans for the first time, they desired to accomplish a couple of firsts. It had been six years since the Colts won their home opener and during that same span, they hadn’t produced a winning record during the month of September.
But sparked by the strong performances from quarterback Jacoby Brissett and kicker Adam Vinatieri, the Colts did just that when they defeated the Atlanta Falcons, 27-24. Up next for the AFC South competitor has another home game as they’ll host Jon Gruden and his Oakland Raiders (1-2).
Here are three key matchups to watch in the Colts’ Week 4 bout against the Raiders:
RB Josh Jacobs vs. Colts’ front seven
In midst of witnessing some of the Colts’ overall success, there is an underlying concern of cause. Among all of the things it could be, it’s their defense’s inability to stop the run. After three weeks of action, the Colts have allowed their opposition to rush for 114 yards per game with an average of 5.3 yards per carry.
This is something to note as the Raiders have a very dynamic running back who’s capable of creating big plays. Josh Jacobs, one of their 2019 first-round draft picks, has gotten off to a good start in the NFL. The Alabama product is currently averaging 5.1 yards per carry via his 228 rushing yards on 45 attempts.
For a Colts’ defense struggling to defend the run while potentially missing a few important starters again, this game serves as Jacobs’ biggest opportunity to break out. The rookie’s rushing attempts dropped in Weeks 2-3 because the Raiders had to play from behind and rely on their passing game in order to come back.
TE Darren Waller vs. Colts’ linebacker corps
So far this regular season, the Raiders’ passing attack has given us a mixed body of work to examine. On one hand, quarterback Derek Carr has been extremely accurate (73.5 completion percentage), and they’re converting third and fourth downs at a 49% and 75% clip. Yet, on the other hand, the Raiders currently rank between 23rd-29th in areas such as passing yards per game, scoring and turnover differential.
And when looking closer at their receiver corps, only two players have caught more than 10 receptions, with one of them being tight end Darren Waller. The Hard Knocks star has become the Raiders’ best-receiving target so far this season. Out of 29 targets, the 6-foot-6 Waller has caught 26 passes for 267 receiving yards.
It’s scary to think about how Waller could be a tougher matchup to defend on Sunday. Last week, the Colts struggled to defend Falcons’ tight end, Austin Hooper, as he caught six passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
Waller and the Raiders do rely on a short and efficient passing game that should play in favor of the Colts’ scheme, but it will leave room for error. Especially if there isn’t a clear answer for who will defend him, between linebackers Darius Leonard, Anthony Walker, and Bobby Okereke.
QB Jacoby Brissett vs. Raiders’ secondary
While not every matchup turns out to be favorable, the Colts will certainly take their chances on Sunday. Coming to town are the Raiders and their 25th ranked defense, who are struggling in various areas, such as third-down stops (53%), creating turnovers (zero) and giving up the most pass plays to cover least 20 yards (17).
Week 4 will represent another opportunity for Brissett and the Colts’ passing game to expand their repertoire following their breakout performance last Sunday. At one point, Brissett completed 16 consecutive passes and threw two first-half touchdowns before also finishing with 310 passing yards and zero interceptions.
Even though wide receiver T.Y. Hilton could possibly miss Sunday’s game, and they’re already without Devin Funchess, the Colts have the right scheme and personnel to still be successful in their absences.
