Cheers & Jeers: Colts-Ravens
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts’ 100th regular-season game at Lucas Oil Stadium didn’t turn out so well in a 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens (6-2) celebrated their first regular-season win in Indianapolis in their seventh visit and extended an NFL-best road winning streak to 10 games. The Colts (5-3) were unable to score a point in the second half.
Suffice to say jeers were louder than cheers for Colts fans.
Justin Houston gives a pep talk before Sunday's game.
Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports
Cheers
— The Colts defense allowed just 55 total yards in the first half, the fewest for an opponent in the first half since Week 7 of 2014 vs. Cincinnati (27).
— The Colts had nine tackles for loss for a second consecutive game. The only other team to do that this season is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
— All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard had a game-high 15 total tackles, including 13 solos, with one tackle for loss, and one fumble recovery. His 13 solos are the most in the NFL in a game this season. His 15 total tackles are tied for third-most this season.
— Leonard passed Jeff Herrod (331) for third-most tackles in a players’ first three seasons in Colts history.
— The Colts outrushed the Ravens, 112-110, and had a higher yards per rush, 5.3 to 2.9. The Ravens entered as the NFL’s No. 1 rushing offense.
— The Colts recovered a fumble for one takeaway in the seventh consecutive game. It’s the longest team streak since 2017-18 (13 games).
— Rookie wide receiver DeMichael Harris gained 28 yards on two rushes.
— Tight end Mo Alie-Cox had a team-long reception of 21 yards. He caught three passes for 43 yards.
— Quarterback Philip Rivers completed passes to nine different targets.
— Rookie wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. had four receptions for a career-high and game-high 56 yards in his first game back since having leg surgery.
— Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner had five tackles, two solos, and one forced fumble.
— Defensive tackle Grover Stewart had four tackles, three solos, a career-high two tackles for loss, and one pass defensed.
— Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor scored on a 1-yard run for his fourth score of the season.
— Defensive end Al Quadin-Muhammad had four solo tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. The two tackles for loss tied his career-high.
— Defensive tackle/defensive end Denico Autry had two tackles, one solo, one tackle for loss, and one sack. He’s had sacks in back-to-back games and leads the Colts with five.
— Linebacker Bobby Okereke and safety Khari Willis each had nine total tackles. Okereke also recovered a fumble.
— Punter Rigoberto Sanchez averaged 51 yards on four punts with a net average of 37.8.
— Rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made his only field goal try (43 yards) to give the Colts a 10-7 lead at halftime. He also made an extra point.
Jeers
— The Colts failed to score in the second half.
— The Colts gained only one yard on four third-quarter plays.
— The Ravens led time of possession, 33:26-26:34. In the second half, the Ravens had the ball 20 minutes, 12 seconds to the Colts’ 9:48.
— The Colts offense was just two-of-12 on third down (17%).
— Taylor’s first NFL fumble was returned 65 yards by Chuck Cook for a touchdown that tied the game at 7 in the second quarter.
— Rivers’ lone interception was awarded on a Ravens challenge after replay reversed an incomplete call and determined cornerback Marcus Peters maintained possession of the pass for enough steps before fumbling, and the Ravens recovered.
— The Ravens scored TDs on back-to-back drives of 10 plays covering 54 yards and 14 plays covering 75 yards to take a 21-10 lead in the fourth quarter.
— The Colts defense’s streak of consecutive games with an interception ended at six games.
— Defensive end Justin Houston failed to have a tackle for the second time in three games. He has one tackle in the last three games.
— The Colts had a season-low two quarterback hits.
— The Colts finished with just three passes defensed.
— Taylor was given only one second-half carry for the second consecutive game. His lone carry after Sunday’s fumble gained one yard on a third-and-two rush in the third quarter.
— Rivers was pressured into a fourth-and-one incomplete pass with the Colts in field goal position and trailing 21-10 in the fourth quarter. A field goal would have made it a one-score game.
— The Colts failed to down two punts inside the 20 that were touchbacks.
— Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson completed 19-of-23 passes for 170 yards with a passer rating of 97.5.
— The Colts failed to set the edge in allowing Jackson to score untouched on a 9-yard naked bootleg around left end in the fourth quarter.
— Rivers completed 25-of-43 passes for 227 yards with one interception for a passer rating of 62.8.
— Colts tight end Jack Doyle was placed in concussion protocol after taking a hit to the head that didn’t draw a penalty flag.
— Colts running back Nyheim Hines had just four touches, and should have had more considering he gained 38 yards on those touches.
— Ravens tight ends Nick Boyle and Mark Andrews combined for seven receptions that gained 68 yards and four first downs.
— The Ravens averaged 6.2 yards per pass play to the Colts’ 5.2.
(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
