Block party? Raiders face test from Colts’ key position group

Amid the talk about running back Jonathan Taylor and quarterback Gardner Minshew, the current faces of an Indianapolis Colts squad that has the final playoff spot in the AFC postseason chase, it gets lost how vital the team’s defensive line has been.

It’s a group the Raiders (7-8) have to be aware of when they play the Colts on Sunday. Indianapolis’ defensive line will want to create havoc for rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell.

It’s a group that appears to have its priorities straight this season.

The Colts had 43 sacks with two games to go last season, four off a franchise record. They came up short. Indianapolis recorded just one sack the rest of the way.

To say the record became a distraction is an understatement. It led to selfish play, as linemen looked to take down quarterbacks rather than doing what was best for the defense as a whole.

The Colts got caught up in the hype. Defensive line coach Nate Ollie was as culpable as anyone else.

“I strayed away from (the process) last year,” Ollie told the Indianapolis Star. “People were saying, ‘Oh, you’re this far away from breaking the sack record.’ We talked about that for the last three weeks, and we didn’t get one.”

Give Indianapolis credit for learning from its mistake. It notched a team-record 47th sack last week against the Falcons, but not by putting the record up on the wall as a goal for everyone to focus on. The Colts (8-7) preached a team-first approach to make franchise history.

“It means a lot, but at the same time, we don’t want to put too much emphasis on it,” defensive end Kwity Paye told the Indianapolis Star. “Because last year, we were talking about it a lot. We never got it.”

Paye has 8½ sacks. End Dayo Odeyingbo has eight sacks. Outside linebacker Samson Ebukam leads Indianapolis with 9½, and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has six.

That’s a lot of production from the team’s primary four pass rushers. The Raiders’ offensive line faces a stiff challenge when it comes to slowing them. The Colts are fifth overall in total sacks and sack rate.

Some of the onus will be O’Connell to get rid of the ball faster than he did Monday against the Chiefs. He’ll need to do so without sacrificing accuracy. O’Connell has sometimes struggled to throw the ball exactly where he wants to, especially when playing under pressure.

Indianapolis, led by defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who held the same position with the Raiders in 2021, often relies on generating pressure with its front four. That leaves the Colts with seven players in coverage.

It’s been a winning formula. Indianapolis has had four or more sacks in seven games this season. It won all seven. That means pass protection has to be one of the Raiders’ top priorities.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.