Ravens - Colts Notes: Second Half

> The CBS heads talks about the Lewis head hit penalty during the halftime yammering, and I have to say that I think they have a point. It's not like the LB has many other options there to dislodge the ball, and you can't give me the line of how players have to just learn to play by the new rules. You play football for 10 to 20 years, you learn to play it one way. Remembering some new way to tackle, or not tackle, would be a challenge to the most self-aware people on the planet, let alone well, football players.

I doubt that the flag will have any real impact on this game, as I'm just not seeing this Ravens offense being able to come back from being down two touchdowns on the road. I also don't want to give aid and comfort to Lewis. But it still rankles.

> Baltimore takes a knee on the opening kickoff, then gives to Rice for two as the Colt defense starts to enjoy the Ravens' predictability. Flacco has time on second and hits Mason, but the WR can't hold on, and the Ravens are lucky it wasn't a fumble. Third down from the gun sees Flacco call time, and they just look staggered, but Rice bails his QB out with an outlet sprint that's punctuated by the small RB givng a Westbrookian straight arm to the DB. Big play.

> Now at their own 48, TE Todd Heap takes a false start, and McGahee gets the five back; he might have had more staying in the middle. McGahee then gets seven as Flacco pumps deep and takes the checkdown. The third and three pass is tipped by DT Raheem Brock to stop the drive, and the Ravens choose to punt, with Cook's punt getting downed at the seven.

> Manning hits Brown from his end zone, and the rookie makes seven yards out of it. Wayne pays the price on a hot route from blitzing CB Chris Carr, and that's a first down. Ngata splits the gap beautifully for the first Ravens sack of the game, and from hurry up, Manning just misses Collie deep. On third and 19 from the gun, Manning nails Garcon with a perfect pass psst the sticks, but the WR can't hold on. Woof. A big punt and strong coverage keeps the Ravens from strong position, as its 56 yards of net. If Baltimore wants to make a game of this, now's the time.

> Rice gets nine and looks good doing it. McClain doesn't convert the short second down, and a false start penalty on third down makes the conversion a lot harder. From the gun, Flacco connects with Heap to wipe out the mistake, and that's a big first down. Rice gets a few to the left, but a hold brings it back, and that's the second flag of the drive on LT Jarrod Geither. It's telling that the first and 20 call is a give to Rice, who gets six. Flacco from the gun on second goes to Rice in the flat, who gets 11 as the OL does nice work. Third and three has Flacco having to improvise, and the result is a deep ball to Rice that's broken up perfectly by Brackett, despite the LB never seeing the ball. On fourth and three, the Ravens go for it and fail, as WR Demetrius Williams can't catch a ball on his left hand. Ah, the difference that top drawer WRs make. The Colts take over at midfield, and I have to wonder... if you knew you were going four downs there, why not run it with Rice or McClain, and do what you do best, rather than wind up putting it on your not very hot at all QB?

> Six minutes left in the third, and the biggest play of the game: S Ed Reed jumps a route, gets a big return, but Garcon strips him from behind, and Clark recovers. Wow. You wonder if Garcon, knowing Reed's lateral habits on picks, went for the strip, or whether it was just instinct. Brown staggers to a three yard loss, and Manning takes a big hit on a throw to Collie, who gets the first. The Raven defense looks a little on edge right now, perhaps sensing the season in the balance, and for some reason, they take their second time out of the half. Addai's first carry since the first half gets nothing, and the Colts aren't going to be able to grind the clock on the ground. Manning takes Wayne for a short one, and third and four is a gun throw that Reed picks for a big return... but the play is flagged all over, and it's defensive pass interference on Clark, right in front of the play, an easy call. The Ravens just can't avoid the monster flag, and Raven coach John Harbaugh just seems at a loss.

> Addai looking spry to the right for four, then two more. From hurry up, it's Wayne to convert, and you have to be impressed at how the Colts refuse to change their game despite the two Reed non-picks on this drive. Manning misses Collie on an awkward looking fly route. Wayne takes a slant inside the 15 as Manning milks the clock, then converts the third and four on yet another surgical throw to Clark, who gets past the sticks as the quarter ends. Colts 17, Ravens 3, and this game isn't far from over.

> The 11th play of the drive sees Brown nailed on the edge for a loss. Manning goes no huddle but maximum clock, then slides down for a sack to keep the clock moving and avoid injury. On third and goal from the 16, Manning can't connect with Wayne, and he had an opening if the throw was better, but it's hard to see how the trajectory would have been possible, given the coverage. Stover's field goal makes it 20-3 with 13.5 minutes left

> When the Colts lose, poor special teams is usually a big factor, but tonight the Ravens haven't been able to take advantage, and the subsequent kickoff return is no different. From their 29, Flacco settles for Rice, who shakes one hit but not the second for a yard. Second down is Rice again, who skittles for four. As Colts Fan makes noise, Flacco finally finds third WR Kelley Washington, who gets the first down and was actually open. Heap takes an out for seven yards as Flacco starts to look a little more settled. A draw to Rice has the RB busting tackles, making big yards, and then dooming his team, as he's stripped near the end of the run for a Colts fumble recovery. Wow; Brock with the hustle play to get downfield and make the hit. The Colts are going to win this game going away, but had two fumble recoveries (the Reed INT and this play) gone the other way... well, I'd be sweating out that 7 point Colt cover a lot more than I am.

> With 11 minutes left and clock to burn, the Colts try Hart on the left side for little, then Garcon to the right. On third and eight, the Colts stay conservative, with Manning giving to Hart from the gun; it's stopped and the Ravens get the three and out to keep he game possible, if not likely. The punt is nearly blocked but huge, and the Ravens start at their own 20, down by 17 points with 9 minutes to go in their season.

> With this amount of time left, a pitch sweep left doesn't seem like the best of plays, and Rice only gets two yards. From the gun on second, Flacco twists oddly to Clayton, and the ball is knocked down. Third and eight could be the killshot, and Washington drops a throw from Flacco under pressure. The QB hasn't played a great game, but as predicted, his utter lack of weapons is just deadly. Patriot killer David Tyree makes a perfect gunner tackle on the punt, but the ball stays in the returner's hands, and at this point in the game, the only way the Ravens are getting back into it is with gifts.

> Eight minutes to play as Manning gives to Brown for little. Ball control passing to Wayne, just in front of the sticks, and Wayne's hands and toughness are just on display tonight. Third and one is telling as Manning tries for Collie on a timing pattern that doesn't work, rather than try to run it. Two straight three and outs by the Colt offense with the game on the line to clinch; you can't say the Raven defense ever quit on this game.

> Heap takes punishment but moves the sticks. Way too much time running off the clock, but at least Flacco gets another first, this time on a pass to Williams, who shakes a tackle. Rice shows his balance and wheels on a flat route where he stays upright; it's worth 15. A miss to Heap stops the clock, then Flacco goes for Mason in the end zone. The ball is underthrown, and Bethea makes the game-ending pick but does not move after the play is over. I'm struck, after the play is over, as to whether or not this is the last game of Mason's career, considering his rescinded training camp decision to retire... and why we only speculate about such things when it's a QB.

> From their own 2, Indy runs into the line for three plays and three yards, the last of which is a delay to Brown that nearly takes his head off. The Ravens use their last time out, and Carr collects a short punt at the Colt 43. Flacco finds Mason for nine, then Heap for another gain and a first. Rice loses yardage on a cross as the two minute warning happens, and I think I'm still writing about this game just because the Ravens haven't quit on it, either. This is a good team and organization, and while the defense is showing cracks on a macro level, and they desperately need better WRs, I still think that Raven Fan, on the whole, has a good ride on their hands here, assuming they can ever get over their zebra problem. There is certainly no quit in them.

> Rice pinballs his way for four yards; he now has 9 catches for 60 yards. An offside flag is followed by a Heap drop, the fifth drop by the Ravens tonight. Fourth and two has Rice not bringing in a hot ball, and the tip is collected by the Colt defense for the fourth Raven turnover of the night. Manning takes a knee, and that is that. The Colts win and cover, 20 to 3.

> The Colts advance, and will host either the Jets or the Chargers. There are worries here; they could not run the ball worth a damn, the game could have been a lot closer with a few bounces going the other way, and the defense looks like it can get worn down. But there is no such thing as an easy out with Manning at the helm, and they don't look like the overly long rest hurt them at all. I still think they screwed their karma, but if bad karma really mattered, the Patriots would have two or three less rings in this century...