The biggest key, in my mind, is for the Colts to score first, and put the Ravens behind early. In games the Ravens scored first this season, they are 9-1 (including last week). In games the Raven’s opponent scored first? 1-6. This will lead to multiple things happening:
- Force an injured Joe Flacco to make plays. I hope the Colts play up on the WR, and almost beg them to throw over the top. I know this is the complete opposite of the normal Colts strategy, but there is no reason to give 7 yards of cushion to WRs who won’t run farther than 10 yard routes.
- The Ravens, more so than almost every team in the NFL, play off of emotion. They’ll be hyped up early, ready to play. A couple of deflating plays have put them away in the past, and will play right into the Colts strengths.
Along the lines of starting fast, I really want the Colts to come out in a real no-huddle offense. The Ravens defense, when playing the Colts, tends to wait until about 8 seconds left on the play clock to actually show what they are going to do on defense, to keep Peyton Manning guessing. Manning should give them the giant middle finger, and force them to keep the same personnel on the field, and not let them actually set up on defense. This should get the Colts on the board fast, and early, leading to a Colts win.
While the Colts controversial decision to rest starters rather than attempt a undefeated season has instilled a Super Bowl or Bust attitude in many fans, the Colts have made it clear that fan reaction is not a factor in their personnel and on the field choices. If the Colts are upset this weekend many fans may call for heads to roll, but the calls would fall on deaf ears inside the organization. For the majority of organizations, pressure isn’t applied by media and fan expectations as much as the possibility of a closing window. The fan and media pressure on the Colts is largely relieved by the likelihood they’ll be back as a contender next year. Peyton Manning is coming off back to back MVP seasons and the team already moved on without one HOF target in Marvin Harrison.
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