Colts at Raiders
This has been an unusually trying season for the Indianapolis Colts. Their run of seven straight seasons with at least 12 wins is over, but a ninth straight playoff appearance is still within reach.
As for the Oakland Raiders, the playoffs are a long shot. Their first winning season in eight years is still possible, however.
The Colts play their second straight must-win game on Sunday when they visit the Raiders (7-7), who need help to win the AFC West despite a perfect division record.
It has been a struggle this season for the Colts (8-6), who have dealt with numerous injuries and a surprisingly difficult stretch from four-time MVP Peyton Manning.
As a result, Indianapolis is playing meaningful games in December for the first time in what seems like ages. The Colts have won the AFC South seven straight seasons - most of the time clinching before the season’s final two weeks.
A rare three-game losing streak assured the Colts’ league-record seven straight 12-win seasons would end and also threatened their lengthy run of postseason appearances.
Manning threw an alarming 11 interceptions during that stretch - four of which were returned for touchdowns. It was his worst three-game stretch since his rookie year of 1998. That season - along with the 2001 campaign - remain the lone times that the Colts have failed to reach the playoffs in Manning’s career.
Manning has regrouped and led Indianapolis to consecutive wins that have the Colts back in control of their own destiny. Manning threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns in a crucial 34-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
It was the second consecutive error-free game for Manning, who lost slot receiver Austin Collie to yet another concussion. The second-year Collie caught eight passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns before departing.
Collie, who suffered a concussion against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 7, was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. He leads the Colts with eight touchdown receptions.
Another big story was the way Indianapolis dominated the line of scrimmage.
Donald Brown ran for a career-high 129 yards and the Colts’ league-worst rushing attack piled up 155 yards on the ground against Jacksonville. Indianapolis' 27th-ranked rush defense also held Maurice Jones-Drew to 46 yards on 15 carries.
The defense will need a similar effort against Darren McFadden and the Raiders, who ran for 264 yards in a 39-23 win over the Denver Broncos last week. The fourth pick of the 2008 draft, McFadden cracked the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career with 119 yards.
McFadden has rushed for 1,112 yards and seven touchdowns - and his 5.2 yards per carry is second to only Kansas City Chiefs speedster Jamaal Charles among players with at least 200 attempts.
McFadden’s breakout season has helped the Raiders end their record-breaking stretch of seven straight seasons with at least 11 losses. Oakland hasn’t had a winning season since 2002, when it was blown out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Super Bowl.
A winning season is within Oakland's grasp, but the playoffs are more of a pipe dream. The Raiders' win over Denver pushed them to 5-0 within the AFC West, but they need a ton of help to win the division due to their 2-7 mark against the rest of the league.
Oakland needs Kansas City (9-5) to lose this week and San Diego (8-6) to drop one of its final two games. If that happens, the Raiders’ Week 17 game in Kansas City will be for the division title.
Oakland could become the first team to win every division game and miss the playoffs since the NFL went to divisions in 1967.