Week 15 Preview: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record: 6-7, 2nd NFC South
Head Coach: Todd Bowles
Offensive Coordinator: Jim Bob Cooter (West Coast Zone Run)
Defensive Coordinator: Todd Bowles (Base 3-4)
‣ NFL 2024 Regular Season, Week 15 - Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada (6-7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)TB | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 LV | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24
Buccaneers defense proves to be no challenge for Raiders, Justin Fields
Raiders quarterback Justin Fields was chomping at the bit following his poor performance in a win against the New Orleans Saints to get back on the field in their next game.
He completed his first fifteen passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- with both teams' playoff hopes on the line -- and of his four incompletions, three of them were drops as Fields and the Raiders cruised past the Buccaneers 24-14 on Sunday to win their sixth game of the season and keep their playoff chances alive.
Fields completed 86 percent of his passes for 175 yards and touchdown. He also rushed for 41 yards, adding to Damien Harris' 94 rushing yards. The team as a whole rushed for 198 yards, an impressive outing against the Bucs stout defense.
Tampa cut into the lead at the beginning of the second half with a 76-yard touchdown run by Rachaad White on the Bucs' first play of the second half. A couple of long drives by the Raiders offense would eat up clock while the Raiders defense surrendered just fifteen yards of offense for the rest of the third quarter and in the fourth quarter, Tampa would never get beyond their side of the field, even when gifted the ball on the 50-yard line after a Michael Mayer fumble.
The Buccaneers offense would go four-and-out, failing to gain a single yard and giving the ball right back to Vegas who held it until the three minute mark where the Bucs would once again go four-and-out, this time with White being blown up on fourth and two and fumbling the ball.
Scoring Summary
Quarter 1 Miyan Williams, 3 Yd run (7:04)
Quarter 2 Damien Harris, 4 Yd run (14:41) Laviska Shenault Jr. 3 Yd pass from Justin Fields (4:34) Chris Godwin 6 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (1:14)
Quarter 3 Rachaad White, 76 Yd run (13:15) Daniel Carlson, 37 Yd FG (4:59)
Quarter 4
No scores
QB Kirk Cousins: 26 of 51, 228 yards, touchdown, interception, sacked 3 times
HB Rachaad White: 15 carries, 126 yards, touchdown, fumble (lost), 8 receptions, 32 yards
WR Chris Godwin: 7 receptions, 73 yards, touchdown
TE Cade Otton: 4 receptions, 61 yards
Wr Mike Evans: 4 receptions, 54 yards
LB Devin White: 22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss
S Antoine Winfield Jr: 13 tackles, tackle for loss
LB Lavonte Davis: 11 tackles, 4 tackles for loss
S Ryan Neal: 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss
DE Yannick Ngakoue: 7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss
QB Justin Fields: 26 of 39, 175 yards, touchdown, sacked once, 13 carries, 41 yards, fumble (lost)
HB Damien Harris: 17 carries, 94 yards, touchdown
HB Laviska Shenault Jr: 16 carries, 33 yards, 9 receptions, 41 yards, touchdown
HB Miyan Williams: 8 carries, 30 yards, touchdown
TE Michael Mayer: 9 receptions, 56 yards
WR Tory Horton: 3 receptions, 30 yards
LT Miller: 76.7 PFF grade | LG Jackson: DNF | C Ruiz: 38.6 PFF grade | RG Runyan: 39.9 PFF grade | RT Alt: 73.0 PFF grade
CB Michael Davis: 12 tackles, interception (68.7 PFF grade)
LB Robert Spillane: 10 tackles (85.2 PFF grade)
S Decorian Patterson: 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss (76.1 PFF grade)
LB Kenneth Murray: 7 tackles, tackle for loss (77.8 PFF grade)
EDGE Maxx Crosby: 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks (100 PFF grade)
LB Curtis Jacobs: 3 tackles (61.4 PFF grade)
IDL Tyleik Williams: 1 tackle, tackle for loss, sack (89.9 PFF grade)
CB Nate Hobbs: Did not start, 16 snaps played
Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts are among the NFL's biggest surprises this season
The Indianapolis Colts won just three games last season in quarterback Anthony Richardson's rookie campaign with the Florida Gator throwing seventeen interceptions and averaging less than seven yards per attempt.
The Colts hired new assistants in OC Wes Phillips and DC Jeff Ulbrich from the Vikings and Jets respectively, drafted Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. with the second pick of the draft and have entirely changed the trajectory of the franchise, clinching the playoffs this week with a win over the Tennessee Titans.
Richardson is now completing 71 percent of his passes and has brought his interceptions down to ten this season along with eighteen passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor is a favorite for the Offensive Player of the Year with fifteen rushing touchdowns and averaging 93.6 yards per game. Backup running back John Kelly Jr. also has nine rushing touchdowns on the season.
With their 10th win of the season and the division wrapped up, the Colts are also in the hunt for the top seed in the AFC as they trail Baltimore by just one game.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week 15 NFL Results 35 - 14 ---------28 - 20 ---------28 - 21 ---------35 - 21 07 - 45--------- 06 - 24--------- 13 - 29--------- 17 - 28 14 - 38---------27 - 26 ---------31 - 28 ---------38 - 00 14 - 24---------14 - 10 ---------31 - 28 --------- 13 - 23--------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL Playoff Picture AFC
1. Baltimore, 11-3 x
2. Kansas City, 10-4
3. Miami, 10-4
4. Indianapolis, 10-4 y
5. Buffalo, 10-4
6. NY Jets, 8-6
7. Pittsburgh, 8-6
-- Denver, 7-7
-- Las Vegas, 6-8
-- LA Chargers, 6-8
NFC
1. Philadelphia, 12-2 y
2. San Francisco, 10-4
3. Detroit, 9-5
4. Carolina, 8-6
5. Chicago, 9-5
6. NY Giants, 8-6
7. Arizona, 8-6
-- Washington, 7-7
-- LA Rams, 6-8
-- Dallas, 6-8
-- Tampa, 6-8
-- Atlanta, 6-8
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Players of the Week QB Dak Prescott: 24 of 29, 407 yards, 5 touchdowns, interception S Kam Curl: 14 tackles, interception QB Drake Maye: 17 of 25, 289 yards, 4 touchdowns LB Shaquille Leonard: 8 tackles, interception
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award Race WR D.J. Moore: 92 receptions, 1271 yards, 9 touchdowns WR Tee Higgins: 82 receptions, 1155 yards, 15 touchdowns HB Jonathan Taylor: 1311 rushing yards, 4.8 ypc, 15 touchdowns
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notable Injuries OLB Jaelan Phillips: Season (elbow) T Taylor Lewan: Season (leg) WR Cooper Kupp: Season (collarbone) HB Will Shipley: Season (foot)