The Ravens beat the Indianapolis Colts 23-16 in Week 16. RSR staff react to the win here…
Derek Arnold
Just when you think this team has turned a corner, they revert back to their old ways. This game looked like pre-bye week Ravens. Marty’s play calling in the Red Zone? Horrendous. Dean’s pressure schemes? Non-existent.
First off, after the Pittsburgh debacle, how has the “WR screen to Nick Boyle behind the line of scrimmage” page of the playbook not been burned? And yet that was the call on a critical 3rd down in the red zone in the second half.
Defensively, Pees’ reluctance to bring pressure with numbers, and the team’s inability to create pressure with four pass rushers could spell their end.
Also, the Ravens had no answer for the Ghost of Christmas Past, Frank Gore. Seriously?!?! They seemed content to let Jacoby Brissett sit back and pick them apart, and they still can’t cover tight ends to save their lives. Sure, if a couple of the linebackers and/or DBs could CATCH THE BALL (looking at you, Mosley & Weddle), this might not have been such a nail-biter late, but Colts fans could say the same thing about their team’s inability to fall on fumbles, after Alex Collins and Michael Campanaro both put the rock on the turf.
If the Ravens play like this against Cincinnati? They’ll lose. They might still get in the playoffs, but they’ll lose. If they play like this against a playoff team? They’ll get run out of the stadium.
Hopefully, this game serves as a wake-up call.
Joe Polek
The Ravens have never done anything but won ugly and they continue to do that. “Experts” will often say, it doesn’t matter how you win, it is just tough to win in the NFL so any win is a good win. No one got injured and they are one win away from a #5 seed. The offense is playing better than it was and this team could pull an upset or two in the postseason.
Adam Bonaccorsi
I hate these wins that feel like losses. There’s absolutely no reason why an 8-6 Ravens team playing at home should have been hanging on at the end to beat a 3-11 Colts team with possibly the worst defense in the NFL.
And yet, it all came down to one play on a night where the offensive play calling was pretty awful (again), the defense couldn’t cover a tight end (or anybody, really) and the pass rush couldn’t get home (with only 4 guys more often than not).
I absolutely didn’t miss that piss poor coaching for the past few weeks at all…
On a side note, see ya again on the proper sideline in about 8 months Chuck Pagano!!
Ryan Jones
I’ve been saying for the last couple of weeks that the Week 17 game against the Bengals is a scary one. Sure, their record indicates they’re a bad team but they have some players who missed time who are now healthy. If the Ravens replicate their performance tonight next week will be a heartbreaker.
This is a game that should have never been in question for a real playoff contender, yet the Ravens turned it into a white knuckle contest. This game should have been about building momentum going into next week but the only thing it did was raise more questions. The play calling leaves a lot to be desired on both sides of the ball and the Ravens can only get away with that for so long.
We’ll add more knee-jerk reactions as they roll in. Give us yours below!
