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Matchups to Watch: vs Raiders

NFL: Oakland Raiders at Indianapolis Colts Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Houston vs Trent Brown

Raiders’ starting left tackle Trent Brown is banged up heading into Sunday’s key divisional game, so Justin Houston will look forward for a chance to keep his hot streak going, after exploding against the Texans. The complete lack of pass-rush was a big reason why the Raiders passing game was so efficient the last time they came to Indy, so getting pressure on Carr will be key to stopping the Raiders’ offense.

Kenny Moore vs. Henry Ruggs

Kenny Moore has been really solid once again this season, and against the Raiders his tackling will have to be on point. Oakland loves to run screens and short passes and get a lot of YAC using the speed of their receivers. Not missing open field tackles is something Moore, and the Colts secondary as a whole are really good at.

Anthony Castonzo vs. Maxx Crosby

Possibly getting Castonzo back would be huge for this offense, as in my opinion AC is the one player the offense cant live without, as the dropoff between him and Green is just so noticeable. Crosby has not taken the step forward expected from him after a really good rookie season, but he still is a very long and athletic pass-rusher that would have a field day against a backup left tackle.

T.Y. Hilton vs. Trayvon Mullen

T.Y. finally had a breakout game this season, and with this game being absolutely crucial for the Colts playoff chances, an encore performance would be really nice to see. If Hilton can get going like he did against the Texans then the Colts get a great route runner to move the chains on third down, something Indy has really struggled with this season, and also one of the most talented players in the entire offense. The offensive ceiling with Hilton involved is much higher than with him out of the gameplan.

Colts Front-7 vs. Josh Jacobs

After missing a couple of games because of an injury, it looks like Jacobs will be good to go against the Colts. The former Alabama running back has been great since entering the league and he could give this elite Colts front-7 a lot of issues. Of course I might be biased, but I strongly believe the Colts defensive line will be able to keep Jacobs in check and force Carr to make the plays with his arm.