Colts vs. Raiders
Colts
How is the Colts’ injury report looking?
Not great. With every step forward, Indianapolis seems to move two steps back. T.Y. Hilton finally returned to the lineup last week. The Colts also lost Ryan Grant and Erik Swoope in the same breath. Tight end Jack Doyle finally shed his injury designation this week while Marlon Mack and Adam Vinatieri are both questionable. Marcus Johnson is also finished for the season. It has been a struggle to field a competitive roster for Indianapolis. The year began with starting guard Jack Mewhort announcing his retirement due to yet another injury, and things have spiraled out of control since then. In better news, Eric Ebron and Hilton both appear healthy leading up to a strong opportunity against this Oakland defense.
Is Marlon Mack the real deal?
Mack has impressed in his first two full games of the season. Even if he did pick up an ankle injury against Buffalo, the second year back was nearly nearly untouchable a week ago. With 31 carries over the past two weeks, his 252 all-purpose yards shows Indianapolis’ dedication to the run and their feature back. Nyheim Hines has proven that he is a catch-first back and Jordan Wilkins is nothing more than a spot fill after a big run. Mack has done everything right so far, and with a bad Raider’s run defense this week, expectations are again high.
Who is the receiver to own?
Ebron has stood apart as the name to own for much of this season as much thanks to availability as anything else. Hilton and Doyle are now back in the rotation, but Ebron has rounded out a role as an intermediate threat and red zone maestro with Andrew Luck. Luck and Hilton continue to work as one of the most dynamic duos in football, making the latter a likely WR2 option this week. It’s nothing new to see this offense short-handed. With a premium on impactful bodies, look for a couple of key names to stand out.
-Michael Collins
Raiders
How will the Raiders Replace Amari Cooper?
Oakland pulled the plug on the Amari Cooper-era this week when they shipped him to Dallas for a 2019 first round pick. Cooper had not been targeted as much as he deserved this season, but he still had 22 catches for 280 yards and a touchdown in 31 targets. The Oakland offense will turn to receivers Jordy Nelson, Jared Cook, Martavis Bryant, and Seth Roberts to replace Cooper this Sunday. The Raiders’ new primary targets will be Cook (43 catches, 400 yards, two touchdowns) and Nelson (22 catches, 323 yards, three touchdowns). Derek Carr has struggled to complete passes over five yards this season, so Jalen Richard might be a good pick if you are in need of a discount running back. Richard has caught 31 of 37 targets this season for 253 yards. With Marshawn Lynch out, Richard could get more carries and will take Lynch’s targets in the passing game.
Is Doug Martin a Viable Option at Running Back?
Marshawn Lynch was added to the IR this week with a groin injury. The Raiders will use Doug Martin and Richard to replace their leading rusher. Martin has carried the ball 27 times for 99 yards in his first season in Oakland. After he averaged 2.9 yards per carry in his last two seasons in Tampa. Martin will now have to carry much of the workload with Lynch out for a lengthy amount of time. The 29-year old from Boise State will face off against a Colts’ defense that allows 110 rushing yards per game and an average of four yards per carry. This would be a good week to feel out if Martin will be a viable option throughout the season. If Martin fails to find consistency, Richard will be forced to carry the ball more as the season progresses.
Will Derek Carr Complete a Pass Past the Line of Scrimmage?
It is has been a confusing season for Derek Carr. The fifth-year quarterback has thrown for 1,783 yards but has found a way to not be very good. Carr struggled to complete a pass over five yards against the Seahawks two weeks ago in a game where he averaged 4.6 yards per attempt. With Cooper gone, Carr is down a downfield target. Carr has proven that he can make throws down the field to Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant when his inexperienced offensive line gives him enough time to go through his progressions. The only issue with Carr is that tends to make poor decisions when he is under duress. Carr has thrown eight interceptions this season in seven games. The Colts have picked off nine passes and forced 21 sacks this season, both troubling numbers for Carr. I predict lots of check-downs and plenty of targets for Richard.
Boom: Jalen Richard
Bust: Jared Cook
Sleeper: Seth Roberts
-Trey Huntsman