Rising Colts do what’s expected versus sliding Ravens

By Anthony Bialy  |   Monday, December 10, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Indianapolis Colts
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To understand the difference between the Colts and the Ravens, look at how each team blew it against New England: While both squads were eventually overwhelmed by a basically unstoppable offense, Indianapolis can at least point out that it was ravaged by injury, while the Ravens ended the game like they were collectively being chased by starving wolves, running around frantically but pointlessly as they came unraveled in the crucial final minutes.

Bart Scott throwing that penalty flag followed by Derrick Mason throwing his helmet serve as co-defining moments for the 2007 Ravens. As for what that meant to Indianapolis, its 30-point lead at the half and 24-point victory in the two teams' face-off in Maryland provided evidence that the Colts are a team back on the ascent that was willing to give its Sunday evening opponent a good shove in the other direction.

Of course, it's somewhat understandable for a club to appear shell-shocked in its first post-Patriots game; ask any individual member of the Colts if he was happy with the way he played versus the Chargers, and you'll receive the dirtiest look of your life if you haven't already turned and sprinted in the exact opposite direction for survival purposes. But Baltimore looks as if it's counting the minutes to its winter vacation, and an Indianapolis team that has quietly returned to prominence in the weeks after its only two losses of the season leaped at the opportunity to trounce a spent franchise.

After starting things off with a touchdown fewer than four minutes in following an efficient, nine-play, 65-yard drive, the Colts can thank an opposing player for truly initiating their roll: The talented yet underachieving Willis McGahee once again played with the uncommon nonchalance for which he's notorious, a trait perfectly on display when he fumbled on his team's first drive. The ball was returned by Marlin Jackson to the Ravens' 12, the lowest moment for McGahee on a night where Indianapolis held him to a sad 45 yards on 17 carries.

One certain path to success is to take advantage of a foe's lackluster performance, and Indianapolis did exactly that only two plays later, as Joseph Addai broke through for a touchdown run after Ben Utecht got the ball to the one on the previous play. The only thing more demoralizing than surrendering an opening-drive touchdown to an intimidating adversary is handing the ball to them in prime territory on your ensuing drive.

Before some fans found their seats, it was 14-0, and the dream-scenario quarterback to overcome a swarming defense paired with an offense that was already successfully cruising isn't exactly Kyle Boller. The Colts certainly weren't going to let him improve his perception to football fans everywhere on the night, as was evidenced by his wretched passer rating of 61.2.

It was part of a concerted effort by the Colts to bag this win in the early going. Fortunate enough to be scheduled against a team wallowing in dysfunction, they put down the Ravens as close to instantaneously as possible in a football game.

The largest blemish on the Colts' effort was the fact they conceded a kickoff return for a touchdown. Ultimately, though, that special teams play served the same purpose as the kickoff the Giants brought back for six in the Ravens' Super Bowl victory about a million years ago: It just made the final outcome appear to be marginally more respectable.

During this contest, that one useless score was eventually accompanied by a garbage-time touchdown for the Ravens followed by a compost-time tally about two hours after the game had been decided, but the result was the same. As Baltimore did in its greatest triumph, the Colts clearly demonstrated that they were in a different weight class than their Week 14 competition.
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About Anthony Bialy

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