The Colts literally bullied Las Vegas into firing their defensive coordinator.
The Indianapolis Colts entered their Week 14 matchup vs the Las Vegas Raiders with a ton of pressure on their shoulders. Win and establish a real cushion in the crowded AFC playoff picture, or lose and have to fend off a handful of other teams over the remaining three weeks.
When all was said and done, however, Indianapolis rode a dominant performance from running back Jonathan Taylor and the defense to a convincing 44-27 victory. While the 2020 second-round pick deserves most of the plaudits in light of the criticism he’s faced this season, the offense as a whole was sensational.
In fact, it was such a flawless display that they gave Las Vegas no other choice but to fire defensive coordinator Paul Guenther just hours after the defeat.
Colts put up 44 on the Raiders Sunday https://t.co/DSpseChDoz
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) December 14, 2020
If that isn’t the perfect capper to a commanding victory, then nothing is, and Frank Reich and the rest of the coaching staff — while they obviously aren’t advocating for people to lose their jobs — should really give themselves a pat on the back.
After all, the Colts did whatever they wanted on offense. Taylor logged over 100 yards from scrimmage for the third consecutive game, taking 20 carries for a career-high 150 yards (7.5 YPC) and two touchdowns. Nyheim Hines, who normally struggles running between the tackles, contributed 58 yards on the ground on a whopping 8.3 yards per attempt.
As prolific as the rushing attack was, however, the passing game was just as efficient. Philip Rivers finished a clean 19-of-28 (67.8%) for 228 yards and two touchdowns, while TY Hilton rode the momentum he generated over the previous two fixtures and registered five receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns.
#Colts RB Jonathan Taylor nominated for FedEx Ground Player of the Week https://t.co/6PswapswCJ
— TheColtsWire (@TheColtsWire) December 14, 2020
We hate to see anybody lose their job, but allowing the Colts’ largely inconsistent offense to rack up over 450 yards is an objectively fireable offensive, especially considering how charitable the Raiders’ defense has been this season against teams not named the Chiefs.
Fans in Indianapolis probably didn’t expect this game to be done and dusted halfway through the fourth quarter, and the fact that it was is just a testament to the aggressive offensive approach implemented by the coaching staff.
They identified Las Vegas’ deficiencies on defense and repeatedly exploited them.
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