Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
It was a nearly a team victory. But upon further review, not everyone was pulling their weight.
Busters
Vontaze Burfict
There may never be another opportunity for Burfict to be named to the Ballers or the Busters. That’s the real crime here. He lasted into the second quarter of the fourth game of his Raiders career and now it appears to be over. Colts tight end Jack Doyle caught a pass over the middle with one knee down and Burfict came flying over, lowered the crown of his helmet into the side of Doyle’s helmet and was flagged for a personal foul. The officials reviewed it and ejected him from the game.
Due to Burfict’s history, this wouldn’t be just an ejection and a fine. This would be a suspension for the rest of the season. It’s the third time Burfict has been suspended for dirty hits and the 14th (!) time he’s been fined and/or suspended for such play in his career. For that reason, it was a big risk signing him.
Even before that stupid hit, Burfict’s day wasn’t going swimmingly. Earlier in the same drive, he was already trying to get himself into trouble. On third and four, Jacoby Brissett was looking for an open receiver and one of those receiver went over the middle where Burfict popped him. Brissett had already stopped looking that way and opted to scramble for it, but had he decided to throw it instead, Burfict would have at least been flagged for illegal contact if not targeting. What Burfict should have been doing is keeping an eye on Brissett who found plenty of room to scramble for nine yards and the first down. The drive stayed alive, Burfict’s season and likely his Raiders career ended a few plays later, and the Colts drove for a field goal. So much for being the smartest player on the team.
Lamarcus Joyner
It’s crazy how different Joyner’s day was to the rest of the secondary. Brissett was picking on Joyner all day with some great success. That catch by Doyle that got Burfict ejected was given up by Joyner. It was a five-yard catch on third and three.
The following drive, got moving when Joyner gave up a 27-yard catch. The fumble ended the drive, but the Colts were right back at it after a Raiders three-and-out. They started at midfield and on third and 18, Joyner gave up a 15-yard catch. The Colts went for it on 4th and 3 and Joyner gave up a 6-yard catch. A penalty late in the drive pushed the field goal to 57 yards and again kept the Colts from scoring.
They wouldn’t be held down completely. Come the fourth quarter, they needed to put points on the board quickly. They drove down field to first and goal at the nine and Joyner was flagged for holding. Two plays later, they were in third and goal from the four and Joyner gave up the touchdown catch to bring it to a one-score game.
Clelin Ferrell, Arden Key
Between the two of them, they played 88 snaps. Ferrell played 85% of the snaps and Key 54%. And their combined total stats was one assisted tackle. That belonged to Ferrell who was given credit for a tackle that Josh Mauro actually made.
Ferrell was also flagged for offisides that gave the Colts a first and goal at the 8-yard-line, missed a tackle on a 6-yard run to set up a conversion on third and short. Key was just flat out invisible. If it wasn’t for Maxx Crosby, the Raiders would be getting nothing from their pass rushers.
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