Taylor, Minshew help Colts stay in AFC playoff chase with victory over Raiders
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gardner Minshew threw one touchdown pass, Jonathan Taylor ran for another score and two late defensive penalties helped the Indianapolis Colts stay in the AFC playoff chase Sunday with a crucial 23-20 victory over Las Vegas.
Indy (9-7) now heads into its regular-season finale with three straight home wins. The Colts host Houston next week with both teams tied atop the AFC South.
Defending division champ Jacksonville also holds a share of the division lead and visits Tennessee.
The loss ended Las Vegas' two-game winning streak and eliminated the Raiders (7-9) from postseason play.
It wasn't pretty, but the Colts played effective ball control. Minshew finished 15 of 23 with 224 yards. Taylor had 21 carries for a season-high 96 yards.
Aidan O'Connell was 30 of 47 with 299 yards and two TDs, both to Davante Adams who had 13 receptions for 126 yards.
The Colts needed only six plays to take a 7-0 lead, capped by Taylor's 5-yard TD run.
Las Vegas answered with a 40-yard field goal and then Minshew fooled the Raiders late in the first half on third-and-1, hooking up with a wide-open Alec Pierce running for the 58-yard score that made made 14-3.
The Raiders cut their deficit to 14-10 after a roughing the kicker call eventually led to a 4-yard TD pass from O'Connell to Adams midway through the third quarter.
But Indy used three second-half field goals from Matt Gay — the final kick set up by pass interference and offside penalties against Jack Jones — and recovered an onside kick to seal the victory after Adams' second TD catch to seal it.
BY THE NUMBERS
Raiders: Adams topped the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth consecutive season. He needs two receptions for the fifth 100-catch, 1,000-yard season of his career. ... Antonio Pierce became the third interim coach involved in this series since 2021.
Colts: Michael Pittman Jr. had five catches for 46 yards, giving him a career-high 104 receptions this season. ... LB Zaire Franklin’s 10 tackles put him at 172, breaking the single-season franchise record (166) he set last season. ... The win ends a run of five straight wins for the road team in this series.
INJURY REPORT
Raiders: Neither left tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (right knee) nor T Cole Fotheringham (hamstring) returned after getting hurt in the third quarter. Las Vegas already was without RB Josh Jacobs (quad) and rookie TE Michael Mayer (toe), who were inactive.
Colts: Indy got RT Braden Smith back after missing three weeks with an injured knee and WR Michael Pittman Jr. after he cleared the concussion protocol. But RB Zack Moss (right forearm) and CB Kenny Moore II (back) were inactive and LB E.J. Speed left in the waning moments with what appeared to be a head injury. Two-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly returned after hutting his ankle.
UP NEXT
Raiders: Host Denver in next weekend's regular-season finale.
Colts: Play Houston next weekend in a game with playoff implications.
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