Colts control playoff chances, look to sink the Raiders

Colts @ Raiders Game Preview

With a huge win against Jacksonville last weekend the Colts now control their playoff hopes. They have the opportunity to head in to the playoffs on a hot streak if they can win the final two games or they will look to the off season and make some changes to get back to the playoffs. Indianapolis has a tough task in the final two games first against the Raiders and finish out the season against the Titans but they are in unfamiliar territory. Most seasons the Colts have walked right into the playoffs and usually found themselves with a bye or home field advantage but not this season. The Colts have battled and clawed their way to the top of the AFC this season but there is still work to be done. For the Raiders it has been an up and down season, at times they look like one of the best teams in the NFL and at other times they look like the worst team in the league. Jason Campbell has emerged as the go to starter for Oakland but if you have one bad game he could be second string real quick and that has been the problem in Oakland this year. It has been the quarterback carousel and it has not stopped and as we all know you must have stability at the quarterback position in the NFL. For Oakland the playoff chances were pretty much dead barring a Kansas City meltdown and for Indy they just need to win out to see the post season.

Keys to the Game:

For both teams the running game

The strength of Oakland is the running of Darren McFadden; if he can run the ball Campbell and the offense can short pass the defense and make big plays. With Zach Miller at the tight end spot the Raiders have a viable threat in the air for the short game and with the emergence of Jacoby Ford and the speed of Darius Heyward-Bey they can do damage if the running game is established.

For the Colts the rushing attack has really come alive as of late, Donald Brown last week had his best game of the season and the Colts also signed Dominic Rhodes to bring a little power to a rejuvenated Indianapolis running game. If the running is on for the Colts they are a hard team to stop with Manning and his receiving corps through the air.

> Find Indianapolis Colts hats & Merchandise online through Pro Football Fans for all your team gear!

Key Matchups:

Darren McFadden vs. Indianapolis defensive line

Indianapolis running backs vs. Oakland defense

As we said earlier McFadden has really had a break out season for the Raiders and he has been the strength of the Raiders attack, if he can get it going it will be a long day for the Indy defense.

With Joseph Addai returning to the lineup and Donald Brown having a career game last week the Colts are looking to take some of the pressure off of Peyton Manning’s shoulders. Add in Dominic Rhodes and you have a recipe for a great running game but can they execute and can they stay healthy.

Prediction:

With this prediction we will have to see which Raiders team shows up on Sunday, if they come out and establish the run and can find a way to convert on the third and shorts they can have success. I see Indianapolis really relying on the run and using the passing game to really set things in motion, I look for Indianapolis to pick up the pace knowing that their playoff future is now in their own hands.

By Sam Adams
ProFootball-fans.com Staff Writer