Raiders vs. Colts Matchups | Kolton Miller’s Replacement & Is Maxx Crosby the NFL’s Top Defender?

RAIDERS VS. COLTS PREVIEW

Want the full Colts breakdown? Earlier this week, I caught up with Sports Illustrated’s Zach Hicks to take a detailed look at the Raiders’ matchup with Indianapolis. From Daniel Jones’ surprising start to Jonathan Taylor’s impact on the ground, we went deep on how the Colts are playing right now and where the Raiders can create some advantages for themselves on Sunday. If you’re looking for the X’s and O’s behind this game, plus the key matchups that could swing it, hit play above and check out the full episode.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: STONE STEPS IN

Heading to Indianapolis, one of the major storylines to keep an eye on will be how the team replaces Kolton Miller at left tackle. Stone Forsythe will try to fill his shoes this week. He’s the Raiders’ swing tackle, whom they signed after they released Thayer Munford following training camp. He’s got experience with Pete Carroll dating back to Seattle, and over the last two seasons, playing at both right and left tackle, he allowed seven sacks, 11 QB hits, 49 hurries, and 67 pressures. Those obviously aren’t great numbers, and he’s got a tough matchup heading his way this week against the likes of Kwity Paye and Laiatu Latu. If he can hold his own, Geno Smith and the Raiders have a shot; if he can’t, buckle up.

THE STANCE IS HERE TO STAY

Ashton Jeanty went viral in college for his pre-snap stance in the backfield. Many dubbed it the “Michael Myers” stance, likening it to the way the villain from the Halloween movie franchise stands. But when Jeanty arrived in Vegas following the draft, the staff made him change it to a more traditional stance. That only stuck for a few weeks, and it turns out Jeanty and the staff met to discuss a move back to the stance he’s more comfortable with. After they agreed to let him give it a shot, he said it was just a matter of proving to them that it works.

In his first game bringing the stance back, Jeanty had 23 touches for 155 total yards and three touchdowns. Safe to say, the stance worked, and it’s here to stay. Pete Carroll even said he “loved” to see the stance return. All kidding aside, it’s not like the stance made all the difference, but Jeanty explained to me that the stance is just something he’s more comfortable with, and standing straight up allows him to see the defense more easily. Moral of the story, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

IS MAXX THE BEST DEFENDER IN THE LEAGUE?

Maxx Crosby had himself a day against the Bears. PFF credited him with five pressures, one QB hit, four hurries, two bat downs, four tackles, and one interception. In one of his weekly Baldys Breakdowns, NFL analyst Brian Baldinger said Maxx is the best defensive player in the league right now. So we brought Baldy on the podcast to break down Maxx’s game and explain to us why he’s been so dominant. To listen to that conversation, check out our latest podcast below, which dropped this morning.

MISS ANYTHING?

Catch up on some of our recent stories:

RAIDERS ROUNDERS

THE BEST BETS OF THE WEEK FOR THE RAIDERS VS. COLTS GAME

We’ve rolled out something new for Raider Nation this season: Raiders Rounders. Each week, I team up with betting analyst Matt Perrault (The Bostonian vs The Book, The Daily Juice) to spotlight the best Raiders bets of the week and a few smart plays from around the NFL. Think of it as the perfect mix of insider football talk and betting insight, giving you a sharper look at how Vegas views the Silver & Black — from player props to game lines — and where the edges might be heading into Sunday.

With that in mind, here are our best plays for the Raiders’ Week 5 matchup against the Colts:

• Colts - 6.5

• Daniel Jones passing yards, Matt says take the over (o/u 232.5 pass yds)

• Geno to throw a pick (he currently leads the league in INTs)

• Ashton Jeanty anytime TD

Matt picked the Raiders to win outright last week. We saw how that panned out, but if you took the spread, then they did cover.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Raiders Rounders is all about sharing our perspective on the game. These aren’t betting recommendations — any wagers you place are 100% your responsibility. Bet responsibly.

FANSHOTZ FRIDAY

“FanShotz Friday”

By now, you have seen the phenomenal photos we’ve been using in many of our newsletters. They’re some of the best shots you’ll find of your favorite team, captured through the lens of our friend Arnie Bazemore of Fanshotz.com. Every Friday, we’ll feature Arnie’s favorite Raiders shot of the week that he captures at practice or on game day. This week, we’re featuring a spectacular image Arnie captured of Maxx Crosby tackling Caleb Williams in their game against the Bears. Check out his work at his site linked above and reach out if you’re interested in working with him. He’s a great guy and has been so supportive of me over the years when I was at NBC here in Vegas, and he’s come along for the ride with Silver & Black Sports Network, too.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Stay plugged in: Follow along on all our social channels for live updates and takeaways from practice today over at Raiders HQ

After that: We’ll see you on gameday! We won’t be on the road out in Indy this week, but we’ll be covering the game remotely from Vegas. So tune in after the game for our weekly postgame reaction podcast, breaking down all the action from Sunday.

Catch ya next time,