Three takeaways from Ravens' win over Colts

Ron Clements

Three takeaways from Ravens' win over Colts image

It wasn't easy, but the Ravens moved closer to a playoff berth.

The Ravens held off the Colts for a 23-16 victory Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. A win next week over the Bengals (5-9) will put the Ravens in the postseason. 

The Ravens (9-6) weren't able to put Saturday's game out of reach until Joe Flacco found a wide-open Maxx Williams in the flat for a 4-yard touchdown with 8:40 remaining in the game to cap a 14-play, 75-yard drive. 

But even then, the Colts (3-12) answered with a 13-play drive that ended with Adam Vinatieri's 30-yard field goal. T.Y. Hilton's 16-yard reception helped set up the field goal. Hilton finished with six catches for 100 yards. The Colts defense then forced a punt and blocked Sam Koch's kick. Colts linebacker Tarell Basham recovered the blocked punt at the Ravens 27-yard line, but Indianapolis was unable to score. 

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Though Flacco wasn't flashy, he was efficient against the Colts' 30th-ranked pass defense. Flacco finished 29 of 38 for 237 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

Three takeaways from the Ravens' win over the Colts

1. Schedule is favorable for the Ravens — Even if the Ravens were to lose to the Bengals, they would still likely get in. Baltimore began Week 16 as the seventh seed in the AFC, but the teams in front of them have difficult final games. The Titans (8-6) play the Rams (10-4) and Jaguars (10-4) and the Bills (8-6) have road games against the Patriots (11-3) and Dolphins (6-8). While the Bills should beat the Dolphins, Miami is not an easy place to play as the Patriots proved by losing there Dec. 11.

Baltimore can take things into its own hands by beating the Bengals, a team the Ravens shut out in the season opener. But should the Bengals pull off the upset, things are still looking good for the Ravens. 

2. Enjoy Frank Gore while you can — Gore ran for 68 yards on 17 carries against the Ravens and has 861 yards on the season. The 34-year-old running back is a future Hall of Famer and next week might be his final NFL game. If Gore can rush for 74 yards next week against the Texans, he'll become just the fifth running back in NFL history to rush for 14,000 yards in his career.

Gore also caught two passes Saturday, including a 14-yard screen that got the Colts on the board when he dove into the end zone. 

While Gore's last three seasons in Indianapolis may not have resulted in a playoff appearance, there were many things out of Gore's control — most notably injuries to quarterback Andrew Luck. Gore is an all-time great and, against the Ravens, he ran with the tenacity of someone who knows he was playing in the penultimate game of his career. 

3. Chuck Pagano will be out of a job in January — Whether the Colts make the move Jan. 1 — the day after the regular-season finales — or wait until after New Year's Day, Pagano will be fired. There's no way for Colts owner Jim Irsay to justify retaining Pagano. Irsay nearly fired Pagano last year, but parted with general manager Ryan Grigson and decided to keep his head coach. Irsay made it clear then Pagano's job beyond 2017 was not secure.

Though Luck's injury was a big factor in only winning three games, the Colts have been abysmal in the second half of games this season. That usually falls on poor in-game adjustments by the coaching staff. While the Colts were better in the second half Saturday, they couldn't come through in the clutch. While the players have to execute the plays called, the head coach is ultimately responsible for wins and losses and Pagano will be the fall guy in a little more than a week. 

 

Ron Clements