Indianapolis Colts Giving Seven To Streaking Baltimore Ravens

NFL News - January 11th, 2010 - Written by John

For the first time in nearly a month, the Indianapolis Colts will be at full strength when they take the field on Saturday. They made it to the playoffs unharmed, and can finally unleash Peyton Manning and Co. in the second round of the AFC bracket against a sizzling Baltimore Ravens team fresh off the upset of the tournament.

Baltimore disoriented the New England Patriots last week in a stunning 33-14 defeat, which handed the Pats their first home playoff loss since 1978. It was also the first time Tom Brady had ever lost an NFL Playoff game at home in his 10-year career.

But, the Colts beat the Ravens, 17-15, in their only meeting this year when Ed Reed fumbled a punt return late in the game, and Indianapolis has won seven-straight dating back to 2001. Baltimore was a surprise one-point favorite in that game, but NFL Betting Lines won't make the same mistake twice.

Thus, Indianapolis is favored by 6 1/2, according to BetUS, with a total of 44 1/2 projected.

Head coach Jim Caldwell caught a lot of flack over the last two weeks of the season because of his decision to forgo an undefeated season and focus on the postseason. Most of the uproar was because of the rare chance to make NFL history, but splintered among the criticism was the fact that holding the starters out for two games, then getting a first-round bye, could stump momentum and cause the team to come out flat against a Ravens team that has plenty of "swag", as Ed Reed put it.

Plus, it allowed the New York Jets a walk into the 2009 NFL Playoffs, and are now one of only three teams left in the AFC tournament.

But if anyone in the NFL can turn it on at a moment's notice, it's Peyton Manning. With him playing a full game, the Colts haven't lost in 23-straight regular season games dating back to 2008, and have home-field advantage throughout.

Manning locked up his league-record fourth MVP trophy with a 4,500-yard, 33-touchdown season. He could've joined rare company by hitting the 5,000-yard mark if he would've played the entire final two weeks. Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark both have 100 catches on the year, although the running game ranks dead last in the league.

That's something Baltimore clearly does better with the combo of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee. Rice set a franchise record with an 83-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game last week, and ended up with 159 yards and two scores. McGahee also had a score in garbage time.

The defense was swarming and caused three Brady turnovers, and held the Patriots to under 200 yards for the first time all year.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Saturday will feature two drastically different styles of offense. Indianapolis can throw the ball on anyone, but flounder in the running game. Baltimore torches defense with a three-headed rushing attack, but rarely moves the ball through the air.

Joe Flacco had only 34 yards passing last week, but the Ravens ran for 234 yards on a pretty decent defense.

The difference is that, while Baltimore is the ninth-best team against the pass, the Colts are only ranked 24th against the run. And the already meager running game will likely slide against the Ravens' fifth-ranked rush defense. Advantage: Rice and McGahee. What might also help is the fact that Lucas Oil Stadium is far more conducive to passing than the frigid Gillette Stadium in New England, which should only help Flacco.

STATS AND STREAKS

- Pre-starters benched, the Colts had a 100-yard receiver in six of their last eight games. One of those 100-yard days came against the Ravens, when Pierre Garcon led the team with 108.

- Despite his legendary status as one of the league's sharpest quarterbacks, Manning has thrown an interception in seven of the last nine.

- Baltimore has been held to 10 points or less in four of it's last six meetings with the Colts. In it's last two trips to Indianapolis, in '04 and '08, it scored just 13 points combined.

-Flacco's best game of the year game in Week 15 against the Bears, in which the sophomore threw for 234 yards and four touchdowns. Since then, he's only thrown two touchdowns in three games and has failed to top 200 yards.