Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Ravens: Beyond the Box Score

Oct 5, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) runs the ball in for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The Indianapolis Colts (3-2) were able to secure a solid home win against the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) on Sunday, winning solidly 20-13.

It wasn’t the prettiest of games as the Colts were facing a very good Ravens team that was hot off three straight wins.  The defense was dominant against a good Baltimore offense while the Colts’ offense did what they needed to get the win, despite four turnovers.

Here’s some things that I noticed in Indy’s tilt with Baltimore:

Andrew Luck is human:

To this point, Andrew Luck was having an MVP-like season and he still is a candidate for the award. However, Luck showed against the Ravens that he certainly has flaws and things to work on. Luck had a couple very bad throws along with two interceptions on tipped passes. His afternoon was less than stellar and the offense stalled on occasion. While his throwing wasn’t fantastic, Luck is still the NFL’s leader in passing yardage and touchdowns. A silver lining was that he was able to find a little bit of success in the running game, getting his second rushing touchdown of the season.

Struggles in the middle of the defense:

With the Colts’ inability to cover Julius Thomas, Zach Ertz and Delanie Walker, it should come as no surprise that tight end Owen Daniels was the leading receiver for Baltimore. It should also come as no surprise that the second-best pass catcher in Baltimore was Justin Forsett, their strongest threat out of the backfield. Daniels and Forsett made the Colts pay on too many occasions and were able to make middle linebackers D’Qwell Jackson and Jerrell Freeman look bad in intermediate pass coverage. The Colts are going to need to figure out something before facing a team with a dominant tight end or pass-catching running back.

Corner dominance continues:

Steve Smith finished with 34 yards. Torrey Smith finished with 38. These cornerbacks that the Colts are boasting this year are both Pro Bowl candidates as it stands today. Vontae Davis has been ravaging opposing offenses in pass coverage and looks like the best corner in the AFC. He also came up with a big interception that was returned for 29 yards. He’s been amazing, Greg Toler has been really good and having Darius Butler back in the slot has been really good for his style of play. While the safeties certainly aren’t the greatest (Mike Adams is changing my mind, however), these cornerbacks have been everything the Colts have wanted this season.

Running backs are good enough:

On 24 combined carries, Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson went for 105 yards and a Bradshaw fumble. They aren’t exactly the greatest numbers for a running back duo, but the pair has led a respectable 17th ranking in the NFL for yards per game. For this game, they combined for an average of 4.3 YPC, a good number for the duo in a consistently shifting offensive line. Considering the Colts also boast the best passing attack in the NFL, a decent running game is all that’s really needed for the offense to thrive. Bradshaw was given more carries than Richardson on Sunday, a sign that the Colts are starting to realize his potential as a starting back. His fumble definitely was a negative, but this increased workload should help make a more efficient and effective running attack.

The defense won the game:

Literally. When Bradshaw fumbled the football late in the fourth quarter, there wasn’t a single Colts fan whose mind didn’t go right back to Philadelphia when Andrew Luck threw a game-altering interception. However, this was a different team and a hyped defense. The defense played so well the entire game, it was only proper that they finish off Baltimore. The entire defensive unit forced two turnovers (another on special teams), only allowed 235 passing yards and just 90 yards on the ground. The Ravens’ offense is no pushover, so establishing a dominant defensive game was the main key in winning this game. Pass coverage was good and the run defense was stellar; this is not your older brother’s Colts team.