Win it for John Madden. It’s simple, eloquent, and a must-happen. The Las Vegas Raiders must muster up the testicular fortitude to win and honor the legendary former coach and late John Madden in today’s clash with the Indianapolis Colts. Anything but a victory inside Lucas Oil Stadium would be “FUBAR” (Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition).
Can't even sugar coat it, #Raiders don't win this Sunday…#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/WZQN3Lm6Tj
— Ray Aspuria (@RaynMaker82) December 31, 2021
By all accounts, the Silver & Black are dialed in…
“At the end of the day, like we always talk about, nobody cares. The fact of the matter is that we have two games left against two really good football teams and we need to win them,” Raiders quarterback Derek Carr said during his mid-week press conference. “And if we do and we can get in, I think that would be pretty remarkable. I think that would be pretty amazing. But it falls in line with what our plans were at the beginning of the year and despite all the adversity to be able to still stare your goals in the face and have an opportunity to obtain them, it’s pretty cool, not going to lie. It is pretty cool.”
“But none of it matters unless we take care of business on the road here against the Colts.”
Yahtzee!
Let’s echo Carr’s strong statement with a pair of Madden-isms:Â
“If a guy doesn’t work hard and doesn’t play well, he can’t lead anything. All he is, is a talker.”
“The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.”
Talk is cheap…
Talk is cheap. Winning is forever. For a long time, winning was the only thing that mattered to the Raiders. The absence of victory relegates a proud Raider Nation to bickering over statistics as the new yardstick for success. Statistical success is fine and dandy, but there’s a reason there’s a final score that separates winners from losers. Oh, and there are those pesky standings too. Darn. That’s the statistic that meant the most to Madden. And the W-L should be the most important to Raider Nation.
But forgive the proud fan base. The lack of Raider success has devolved them into a group fighting for scraps. They cling to something to help them cope with the suckage their favorite team has mastered. In the process, they prop up a player or players to bulletproof status, absolving them of any blame for the mess.
But here we are. The Raiders are 8-7 and face a 9-6 Colts team. Two final games on the 2021 regular season slate. Win and the Raiders are in.
There’s no denying Indianapolis presents a tall task for Las Vegas. The Colts boast a badass running game led by the supremely awesome Jonathan Taylor. The running back has made the opposition look foolish this season as he’s run through, around, and turned defenses thoroughly upside down. Taylor’s 1,626 yards and 17 touchdowns on 297 carries (a robust 5.5 yards per carry average) is a testament to how impressive the 5-foot-10, 226-pound Wisconsin product has been this season. He’s a 22-year-old powerhouse.
Can the Raiders stop Taylor?
“He’s a bigger-bodied back that’s extremely fast,” Raiders defensive boss Gus Bradley said of Taylor during the coordinator’s mid-week press conference. “So, he’s got a really rare combination. He’s got very good patience. Their front line is very good. Offensive line, they do a good job holding on blocks and so gap integrity is very important for us this week. They’re physical up front and he’s got the patience to trust it. We have a saying that, ‘Backs will run through darkness.’ Because it might appear dark at times, but they trust that it will eventually open up. He does a great job running through darkness, and that darkness isn’t there very long. It opens up pretty quick. He’s got the size; he’s got the speed. Once he gets out in the open, he’s got breakaway speed where he can take it the distance.”
At the coordinator’s mid-week press conference, Gus Bradley said of Taylor, “He’s a bigger-bodied back that’s extremely fast. So, he’s got a really rare combination. He’s got very good patience. Their front line is very good. Offensive line, they do a good job holding on blocks, so gap integrity is very important for us this week. They’re physical up front, and he’s got the patience to trust it. We have a saying that, ‘Backs will run through darkness.‘ Because it might appear dark at times, but they trust that it will eventually open up. He does a great job running through darkness, and that darkness isn’t there very long. It opens up pretty quick. He’s got the size, he’s got the speed. Once he gets out in the open, he’s got breakaway speed where he can take it the distance.”
The Raiders can counter with Jacobs
The Raiders can counter with their own resurgent run game led by Josh Jacobs. But, more than likely, the ball will end up in Carr’s capable hands. No. 4 is third among quarterbacks with 4,363 yards passing and is just 327 yards away from breaking another franchise record, single-season passing yards, held by the legendary Rich Gannon (set in 2002). Vegas is 6-0 when Carr throws for 300 yards or more. Conversely, the team is 2-7 when he doesn’t reach that particular passing plateau.
2 weeks left. Is anyone catching TB12? pic.twitter.com/unMWrMs5k7
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2021
Stop with the excuses…
And please, save the “Carr has no weapons” malarkey for someone else. Saying that is a cop out and shits on Carr’s teammates. Plus, the receding hairline GOAT (Hunter Renfrow) wreaks of awesomeness. No, seriously, the diminutive slot receiver does as he’s shy of the 1,000-yard receiving mark with 949 yards and six touchdowns on 92 catches on the year.
Oh, almost forgot, when Taylor doesn’t reach 100 yards rushing, the Colts are 0-6.Â
Stop Taylor (best they can) and the Raiders might not only keep their playoff aspirations alive and well, they can properly honor Madden with a W.Â
If not, then prepare for upcoming sweeping changes to the moribund franchise.
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*Top Photo: Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports