Oakland Raiders: A Few X-Factors To Watch For Versus Indianapolis

The More Desperate Team Will Win

The Colts come into this game with their season on the line. Win, and they still have a shot at the postseason. Lose, and they may as well start booking trips and tee times for the offseason.

This is a Colts team that has some real firepower and is probably a bit better than their very average 7-7 would indicate.

They’re a dangerous team. A team made even more dangerous by the desperation they’ll undoubtedly be playing with. This will be the proverbial wounded animal who will be biting, kicking, scratching, and clawing in an attempt to salvage their season.

The Raiders are going to need to match that intensity and sense of desperation every step of the way. They’ll need to weather the storms that Luck and company will undoubtedly throw their way and keep their energy and focus high throughout the game.

They will also need to play with a sense of desperation of their own. The Tennessee Titans did the Raiders a huge solid by beating the Chiefs last week. That put Oakland back in the driver’s seat for a division title, first round bye, and home playoff game. It even gives them an outside shot at home field throughout.

The Raiders still have a lot left to play for and can’t afford to come out flat. It’ll be much easier to win a playoff game in an atmosphere created by the Black Hole than it would be to win it on the road. And the Raiders need to do everything within their power to make that a reality.

They need to come out fired up and focused. They need to play with a sense of urgency and desperation. And they need to play like a hungry team with everything still to prove – because in a lot of ways they are.