Colts' Defense, Matt Gay Propel Indy to Upset Over Ravens
Nobody had faith in the Indianapolis Colts to win in Week 3.
The Colts were traveling out east to take on the Baltimore Ravens, a place they had not won at in 14 years. Starting quarterback Anthony Richardson and center Ryan Kelly would be missing the game due to concussions they suffered against the Houston Texans. Taking on Lamar Jackson, it would be very tough to take down the 2-0 Ravens.
And that is exactly what they did.
Down their starting quarterback and center, going into a hostile environment, the Colts took down the Ravens 22-19 in overtime at M&T Bank Stadium. With the remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia falling on the field, it was a soggy affair between the two teams. Ultimately, the Colts fought through the elements and, on the back of their impressive defense and kicker Matt Gay, got the victory to move into sole possession of first place in the AFC South.
"Just the resiliency that our guys showed through the whole five quarters of the football game to find a way to win that game was huge," head coach Shane Steichen said after the game. "It just showed how hard these guys have been working to finish the game, so it’s really good to see.”
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Without Richardson, Gardner Minshew got the start and led the Colts offense. While Minshew went 27-of-44 (61.4%) for 227 yards and a touchdown, the offense struggled for much of the afternoon. Minshew had issues with diagnosing the blitz and missed his receivers numerous times. Zack Moss handled things at running back once again with 122 yards and a receiving touchdown, but the Colts offense failed to produce points.
That left the defense to do the heavy lifting. Coming into the game, the Colts knew they would need to contain Jackson to have a shot at victory. And while Jackson did have two rushing touchdowns on Sunday, the Colts kept the former NFL MVP in check for most of the game.
Jackson failed to throw a touchdown pass and was sacked four times by the Colts defense. Kwity Paye, Samsom Ebukam, Taven Bryan, and Zaire Franklin delivered sacks on Jackson, halting the Ravens' drives. The Colts' ability to get pressure on Jackson was pivotal to not allowing the Ravens to run away with the game.
"Our defense, they continue to prove it week in and week out, our defensive line, our linebackers, and our (defensive backs) as a whole," Steichen remarked. "(Gus Bradley) does a heck of a job with those guys, getting them prepared along with the defensive staff. Just the way they are playing, they are playing together. They’re playing physical. They’re on the same page. Obviously, you’ve got things to clean up. It’s never perfect. But it was just a great, great team win.”
Jackson also fumbled the ball twice to go along with four total fumbles by the Ravens. Bryan and rookie JuJu Brents, who started at cornerback in his NFL debut on Sunday, forced two fumbles, with Brents and Paye recovering a fumble a piece. The Colts won the turnover battle 2-0, a goal Steichen continually hammers home to his team each week.
Brents was impressive in his first start with the Colts, tallying four tackles, a fumble recovery, and breaking up numerous passes. After being inactive for the first two weeks, Brents had proven to coaches in practice he was ready for action. The second-round pick had an impact early and often.
"First start. He had a (forced) fumble (and recovery) there. It was awesome to see him out there," Steichen explained. "Obviously, he is a good cover guy. He’s long rangy and played physical. I’d like to go back and watch the tape, but from what I saw on the sidelines, it was pretty darn good.”
The defense overall limited the Ravens offense to 364 total yards and just 6-for-16 on third down. On a day the Colts offense was not at full strength, the defense carried the Colts to a big win.
However, if the offense was struggling, where did the scoring come from? Enter Gay, the kicker the Colts signed this offseason to the largest free agent contract for a kicker in NFL history. Gay proved to be worth every penny on Sunday.
Gay scored 16 of the Colts' 22 points in Baltimore. The kicker was 5-of-5 on the day, including four field goals from 50-plus yards. Gay becomes the first kicker in NFL history to make four field goals of 50 yards or more in a single game.
The Colts have dealt with kicking issues since Adam Vinatieri's last season. Going from kicker to kicker, Indy could never find a reliable option they could count on in the big moments. General manager Chris Ballard set out to fix that this offseason when he brought Gay on board.
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While the conditions were not the best, Gay stayed calm and stuck to his routine. Working with long snapper Luke Rhodes and holder Rigoberto Sanchez, the trio has quickly learned each other and developed a flawless field goal process. The result was a historic day for Gay when the Colts needed him the most.
“No doubt, it’s huge," Steichen admitted about having a reliable kicker. "That was the first time, I believe, in NFL history (converting) four 50-plus-yard field goals. (Gay) was on fire. Glad we got him. Great kicker, obviously, and he proved that today.”
“That boy was nailing them, you know what I mean?" Franklin said about Gay after a team-leading 15-tackle performance. "People underestimate the power of the kicking game.”
“(Gay) was incredible," wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said with a smile. "I mean, he just saved the day. Superhero cape, and he just did it all today.”
The game ball for this upset win should go to Gay and the entire Colts' defense. On a day when the offense struggled to score points, the other phases led the way to victory. Now, after three games, the Colts find themselves atop the division with a team that may not be as far away as originally thought.
While the experts may not have faith, Steichen and his Colts group do. And that is all that matters.
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