Colts cornerback Stephon Gilmore stepped up in the clutch again Sunday, and it propelled Indianapolis to a Week 10 victory against Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders.
Gilmore’s pass defense on fourth-and-6 from the Indianapolis 16-yard line resulted in a Derek Carr incompletion intended for Raiders superstar wideout Davante Adams. Gilmore’s deflection in the end zone ultimately served as the game-winning play for the Colts in a 25-20 verdict.
Gilmore now has made the game-winning stop in three of the Colts’ four victories this season, including a previous pass breakup on fourth-and-1 from the Indianapolis 5-yard line in a 12-9 overtime victory against the Denver Broncos.
He relished the crunch-time opportunity, especially with an All-Pro receiver on the opposing side.
“Gus (Bradley) made a great call,” Gilmore told reporters of the stop, per the team website. “He sent the house, and I knew it was one-on-one backside with me and (Adams). I knew he was going to go to his best player, and I like being in that position because it allows me to make a play to help our team win. But I take myself each and every week. With the game on the line, I like myself.”
The final verdict was even more stunning given the Colts were operating with interim head coach Jeff Saturday coaching in his first NFL game and an inexperienced play-caller in Parks Frazier calling the shots on offense. The Colts fired their offensive coordinator before Week 9 and then fired coach Frank Reich following a Week 9 loss to the New England Patriots.
“We’re still here,” Gilmore added. “We’ve got a great team; we’ve just got to keep clicking. We’ve got to keep going 1-0 each and every week. And these guys work hard every day. I like my teammates, the coaches put us in great position to make plays, so I’m just excited for the future.”
One who might not be overly confident about the future, however, is McDaniels. The Raiders’ loss undoubtedly serves as the lowest of lows for the organization this season and has caused calls for McDaniels’ job to grow even louder.
