Colts - Ravens Takeaways

Your Legacy Is Self-Promotion

> Bruce Arians got sick before the game, Colts Fan got sick during

> Ray Lewis, shockingly, allowed himself to be photographed during his pre-game pro wrestling style Spasmodic Dance Intro

> If the Ravens had K Justin Tucker last year, they might have another ring, and saved the world from another year of Lewis working the cameras

> Indy won the coin toss and elected to receive and amp up the crowd with tentative play calling

> Lewis made an early tackle for a loss, ensuring the world got a good look at his new Hannibal Lechter face mask

> Ray Rice fumbled in the red zone, just to kill the narrative of how Joe Flacco ruins everything

> Lewis dropped one of the easiest picks imaginable, because he was thinking too much about how to celebrate the achievement later

> Flacco's first half numbers reminded everyone that, no matter how many times he's gone to the playoffs, he's really not the guy you want to give a big money contract to

> Andrew Luck fumbled at the end of the a long drive to kill a field goal opportunity, just to kill the narrative of how Andrew Luck is an unquestioned benefit

> Just like the Chargers game, the Ravens proved that everything can be made OK with the application of a screen pass to Rice

> Vonta Leach scored a touchdown, just to show that was actually possible

> Both teams entered the final minute of the first half with a full allotment of timeouts, which I didn't think was possible as an Eagles Fan

> It's no longer possible to call intentional grounding less than 10 seconds after the play is over

> The teams and officiating crew decided to stop the game for ten minutes with 12 seconds left, just to ensure the correct spot and time, and to remind everyone how the scab refs aren't the only terrible ones

> T.Y. Hilton made a great play to get yards, out of bounds, and a shot at three points

> Adam Vinateri made a kick in from deep to end the half with points, and to remind everyone that he's going to the Hall of Fame

> Colts DE/LB Robert Mathis literally kicked Flacco to the curb for a 13 yard sack

> Flacco found WR Anquan Boldin for a 50-yard gain on 3rd and 19, which would have worked as an arm punt, too

> Ravens P Sam Koch and the Ravens STs missed on multiple opportunities to pin the Colts deep

> Lewis celebrated an ordinary tackle on a 3-yard run like he invented fire

> DE Terrell Suggs tapped Luck on the head after hitting him without getting a flag, which means he might be young, athletic, or secretly black

> DT Paul Krueger is the best defensive player on the Ravens right now, but sinc ehe doesn't dance, no one will ever know

> Boldin finally found a secondary that he can still beat deep

> For a pretty terrible QB, Flacco throws a nice deep ball

> Flacco found TE Dennis Pitta for a crossing pattern TD where the defender was either picked or grossly incompetent

> The Colts are running the ball too well to give up hits to their QB on every drop-back

> Luck's mobility isn't going to be a major weapon for much of his career, but it's pretty useful right now

> Indy converts third and short with trickery, which never sets the right tone prior to the red zone

> Reggie Wayne became the second all-time WR in postseason yardage behind only Jerry Rice, which is one of those Moderns Only Need Apply records

> In the red zone, the Ravens bring their Big Boy Blitzes to solid effect

> Just when it looked like the Ravens were going to salt this away, Rice fumbled for the second time today, and that was all on him

> Colts RB Vick Ballard is going to be a sneaky RB1 in your fantasy league next year

> Shockingly, Colts WR Donnie Avery failed to make a play in traffic to prolong a Colts drive in the red zone

> When Vinateri finally missed, that was a huge sign this wasn't going to be the Colts' day

> Bernard Pierce might be Baltimore's best RB right now, at least in terms of ball security

> Boldin's touchdown showed huge hand strength and concentration, and iced this game and cover

> CBS gave us Lews dancing and drooling in HD, which isn't exactly called for

> Indy lost a challenge on a catch and drop by WR Donnie Avery that was positively Reid-esque

> On 3rd and 1 with 6 minutes left, the Colts threw and missed when the TE fell down, rather than just calling a draw and getting the first down... setting up

> The killshot fourth down INT tipped ball, but that's Young Players and Back Up Coordinator for you

> Bernard Pollard gave up 30 yards of flags on a late drive and inspired the Raven crowd to show their Best In The NFL profanity skills

> Ballard's drop of a fourth down conversion was the Colts' 9th (!) of the day, and ensured that Lewis will get to dance another day

> Pierce converted a third and six to ice the cover

> Lewis went on the field for the final kneel down, then made himself available for interviews after stripping off his jersey, because he's very shy

> Regardless of the outcome and just nine points on the board, Luck is the real deal, and the Colts will win the AFC South next year

> Next week, the Ravens get to go to Denver and take on the better Colts team