With two games to go, the AFC South is still wide open, with both the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans sitting at 8-6. But the Indianapolis Colts are still in the running at 7-7, and hoping to keep their hopes alive by beating a team that has already clinched a postseason berth. They have tall task when they face the Oakland Raiders on Christmas Eve.
Colts vs. Raiders 2016 live stream: Game time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Can Andrew Luck and the Colts find their stride with two games to go standing on the outside of the playoffs looking in?
The Colts will travel to the Oakland Coliseum for a Saturday game that will kick off at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS. Like all games on CBS, there will be a live stream online at CBS All-Access, though it will require login credentials from a cable or satellite provider in addition to an All-Access subscription.
Indianapolis is trying to avoid missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, but it’s an uphill battle at this point. The Colts need the teams ahead of them to lose games, especially because they have played both teams twice already this season. Indianapolis beat the Titans both times, and lost to the Texans both times.
The good news is the Colts will finish the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that they absolutely should beat (but then again, they lost to the Jaguars in Week 4, somehow). If they can pull off the upset over Oakland, they would be in a good position.
The Texans and Titans will play each other in the regular season finale, while the Texans will face the Cincinnati Bengals and the Titans will face the Jaguars this week.
Scoring an upset over the Raiders will be a tall order, though. The Raiders have already locked up a spot in the playoffs, and are in line to win the AFC West as well. They have taken steps from being the most dysfunctional, poorly managed franchise in the league and into a well-drafting franchise teeming with young talent.
That young talent comes primarily in the form of the big three: quarterback Derek Carr, wide receiver Amari Cooper and outside linebacker Khalil Mack. Carr has thrown 25 touchdowns against six interceptions, while Cooper has caught 74 passes for 1,038 yards and four touchdowns this season (Michael Crabtree has eight touchdowns alongside him).
Mack has broken double digits and sits with 11.0 sacks on the season, to go with his six tackles for loss, 46 total tackles, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown and one interception. He’s one of the best players in the league at this point and he’s only getting better.
The Colts still have weapons, and that’s the biggest problem: those weapons aren’t producing. Even when quarterback Andrew Luck is playing well, he’s still not playing as well as expected. He’s completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 3,631 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He’s played decent football, but really the Colts just look overmatched most weeks.
Defensively is where they really struggle. They rank 27th in the league in total defense, which includes a No. 27 ranking against the pass and No. 20 against the run. They also allow 24.2 points per game, tied for 22nd in the league. Everything about Indianapolis’ stat sheet screams “mediocre.”
Below is all you need to watch Saturday’s game.
How to Watch Colts vs. Raiders on Saturday
Time: 4:05 p.m. ET
Location: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, Tracy Wolfson
Online Streaming: Sunday Ticket, CBS All-Access
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