The NFL is built to produce close games and thrilling fourth quarters. The Draft is structured to uplift the struggling teams and decelerate the thriving ones. The salary cap works to preserve the parity of the league and distribute the best players across as many teams as possible.
On the Sunday of week five of the 2025 NFL Season, the game occurring inside Lucas Oil Stadium deflected all of those forces and showcased a staggering result. The Indianapolis Colts ran the Las Vegas Raiders out of the building, winning 40-6 and dominating every aspect of the game.
Offensively, the Colts began by punting after a quick three and out on their first drive. Aside from a second punt in the fourth quarter with many of its starters sitting out, Indianapolis reached the end zone on every one of its other six drives. A balanced and effective Indianapolis offense took the field once again, this time picking apart a Las Vegas defense that was helpless for much of the day.
Daniel Jones completed 20 of 29 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Jonathon Taylor picked up 66 yards off of 17 carries, reaching the end zone three times. Ashton Dulin, starting in place of the injured Alec Pierce, caught a pair of passes for 55 yards while Michael Pittman Jr. and Tyler Warren scored a touchdown each.
After the game, Colts head coach Shane Steichen was asked about the level Jonathon Taylor is playing at and what it means for the team.
“Extremely high,” Steichen said. “The best (running) back in the league right now. Credit to him, credit to the o-line… it’s everybody, it starts up front with those guys and he’s just seeing it well… he’s running it hard, patient, great vision, great burst and he hits the home runs.”
The defense is as deserving of praise as the offense is, playing enforcing and opportunistic football throughout the game. Las Vegas never reached the end zone, and failed to establish a sense of consistent momentum offensively.
Las Vegas put forth an impressive effort on its opening drive, fueled by rookie running back Ashton Jeanty’s abilities on the ground and quick, short passes executed well by quarterback Geno Smith. The drive stalled in the red zone and the Raiders were held to a field goal.
The Las Vegas offense didn’t find a better opportunity to reach the end zone all day, as quality drives were marred by turnovers and ineffective pass protection. The Indianapolis front seven attacked Smith with ease, recording four sacks.
On top of that, early turnovers resulted in the Colts jumping out to an early lead, preventing the Raiders from being able to lean on their greatest weapon in Jeanty. The Raiders are not built to succeed through chunk plays through the air, and that is exactly how they were forced to approach the majority of this game.
Interceptions have been an issue for the Raiders throughout the season, and that continued to be the case in Indianapolis. The Colts defense is amongst the top 10 in intercepting passes, and the Raiders throw the most interceptions per game through the first few games of the season. Smith threw two interceptions in this game, one was the result of a tipped pass and the other stemmed from an ill-advised pass into double coverage.
The Raiders turned the ball over, prematurely ending their own drives and allowing Indianapolis to secure a sizable early lead. While in comeback mode for most of the game, the Vegas offense was foiled by the Colts front seven on early downs and pushed out of its comfort zone. Smith completed 25 of 36 passes for 228 yards and two interceptions. Tre Tucker caught four passes for 62 yards, while Jeanty caught five for 42 and rushed 14 times for 67 yards.
The cherry on top for the Colts was the special teams unit. Ashton Dulin took a kickoff 98 yards to the house, which was nullified by a holding penalty but still displayed the threat Indianapolis poses on kick return opportunities. Segun Olubi blocked a punt later in the game, acting as another key takeaway that swung the momentum further towards the side of the home team.
After the game, Steichen spoke with reporters about what the win says about the team after a tough loss the week prior.
“Our guys were locked in all week,” Steichen said. “I thought we had a hell of a week of practice, and to see it come to fruition here on Sunday… just hats off to all the guys and all the coaches.”
The Colts remain at home for next week’s date with the 2-3 Arizona Cardinals, who blew an 18-point lead en route to a one-point loss to the Tennessee Titans in week five. That game will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. The Raiders host those same Tennessee Titans next week on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
The Colts have yet to lose inside Lucas Oil Stadium this season, as they look ahead to another winnable game against an opponent with a losing record in the Arizona Cardinals. As the October air sets in and Halloween decorations begin to dot the streets, the team in Indianapolis is 4-1 and thriving.
