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| MIN at SF | NO at ATL | NYG at PHI | OAK at GB | PIT at NE | SD at TEN | STL at CIN | TB at HOU |
Week 14 Game Recap: Indianapolis Colts 44, Baltimore Ravens 20
What you need to know
| Indianapolis Colts |
The Colts jumped all over the Ravens, jumping out to a 23 to 0 first quarter lead. They didn't let up until they had scored 44 points, at which point the victory was secure and the backups got some playing time. The usual suspects of Peyton Manning (four TDs), Reggie Wayne (one TD), and Joseph Addai (three TDs) had great games. Rookie wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez had a coming out party of sorts, with two touchdowns while leading the team in receiving yards.
The Indianapolis defense was very opportunistic. They intercepted Kyle Boller three times, recovered both fumbles they forced, and recorded four sacks. They only allowed one touchdown, a garbage time touchdown pass from Boller to Devard Darling. The Colts scored a safety in the first quarter when they blocked a Ravens' punt that went through the back of the Ravens' end zone.
| Baltimore Ravens |
Baltimore was completely outmatched by the Colts. The game got out of hand early, and as such a lot of different players got game action that normally wouldn't. Willis McGahee was contained, but ran hard throughout. Devard Darling scored the Ravens only offensive touchdown in garbage time. Kyle Boller had a very rough game. He threw three interceptions, including one in the end zone. He was also sacked four times and lost a fumble.
The defense contained the running game, although they did allow two rushing scores to Joseph Addai. Peyton Manning scorched them for four touchdowns, as well. The Ravens appeared to be very hung over from the emotional loss to the Patriots just six days earlier.
What you ought to know
| QB Peyton Manning, Pass: 13 - 17 - 249 - 4 TD / 0 INT |
Manning had an extremely efficient evening, despite only playing two and a half quarters. He threw four touchdowns despite only attempting 17 passes. Rookie wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez was his preferred target, and Manning hooked up with his WR twice on deep balls for a touchdown. The game was well in hand in the third quarter, so Manning left the game and let backup Jim Sorgi see some game action.
| QB Jim Sorgi, Pass: 3 - 5 - 26 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 2 - -2 - 0 |
Sorgi entered the game in the middle of the third quarter, as the competitive portion of the game was over. He didn't do too much more than just hand the ball off, but it appears he is capable of running the Colts' offense, and looks a lot like Peyton Manning with his pre snap adjustments and gesticulations. Four of his five passes went to Colts' wide receivers, and the other went to running back Clifton Dawson
| RB Joseph Addai, Rush: 13 - 32 - 2, Rec: 3 - 49 - 1 (3 targets) |
Addai was contained for the most part by Baltimore's defense. He did contribute in the red zone, though, scoring twice on runs inside Baltimore's twenty yard line. Addai was also a recipient of one of Manning's four touchdown passes.
| RB Clifton Dawson, Rush: 7 - 13 - 0, Rec: 1 - 6 - 0 (1 targets) |
Dawson saw some game action in garbage time. He didn't flash much in the way of ability, which is to be expected for someone buried on the depth chart.
| RB Kenton Keith, Rush: 5 - 16 - 0 |
Keith spelled Addai on a few occasions during the competitive portion of the game, but was absent as the team killed the clock late.
| WR Anthony Gonzalez, Rec: 6 - 134 - 2 (9 targets) |
Gonzalez had his best game yet as a professional. Announcer John Madden mentioned on the NBC broadcast that Gonzalez suggested to Peyton Manning that he run more deep routes, which is exactly what happened. Manning found Gonzalez open deep down the right side for two touchdowns (of 57 and 40 yards). Gonzalez led the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
| WR Reggie Wayne, Rec: 2 - 42 - 1 (2 targets) |
Despite the high scoring Colts offense, Wayne wasn't a big part of the equation. He still managed to score despite only receiving two targets, but overall he was oddly absent from the game action.
| WR Devin Aromashodu, Rec: 1 - 10 - 0 (2 targets) |
Aromashodu saw action late in the game during garbage time. He was targeted twice by Jim Sorgi, and caught one of them.
| TE Ben Utecht, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (2 targets) |
Utecht started the game as a second tight end, and wound up catching both of his targets for short to medium gains.
| TE Dallas Clark, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (3 targets) |
Clark only managed to haul in one of his targets.
| PK Adam Vinatieri 0 - 0 FG, 6 - 6 XP, 6 points |
Vinatieri made all six of his PATs, but didn't attempt a field goal.
| IND Rush Defense |
Indianapolis' rush defense allowed 98 total yards on 32 carries for a 3.1 average. They did a great job containing starter Willis McGahee, who finished with only 45 yards on 17 carries. The lone score allowed came in garbage time, when Ravens' rookie signal caller Troy Smith scrambled in for a late score. They forced and recovered a McGahee fumble early in the game.
| IND Pass Defense |
Indianapolis' pass defense gave up 165 yards on 22 of 30 passing for an average of 5.5 yards per attempt. They allowed one touchdown, a Boller to Devard Darling garbage time score. They sacked Boller four times, intercepted him three times, and forced a fumbles that they recovered. Gary Brackett (two interceptions) and Bob Sanders (ten tackles in limited playing time) both had particularly strong games.
| QB Kyle Boller, Pass: 19 - 25 - 132 - 1 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 8 - 33 - 0 |
Boller had a rough game. He threw three interceptions and only one touchdown, and even that came in garbage time. This lone score was a four yard toss to Devard Darling once the game was well out of reach. Boller's preferred targets were his starting wide receivers, Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason. He was constantly harassed and pressured by the Colts from four, and made some bone-headed throws to compound his problems. Boller was sacked four times and lost a fumbles, making his responsible for four turnovers in the game.
| QB Troy Smith, Pass: 3 - 5 - 33 - 0 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 6 - 1 |
Smith made his NFL debut and looked decent doing so. He looked confident and aggressive on his throws, and even ran in a late score on a scramble.
| RB Willis McGahee, Rush: 17 - 45 - 0, Rec: 5 - 7 - 0 (5 targets) |
McGahee had a tough time against the Colts defense. He ran passionately, but was frequently met at the line of scrimmage. McGahee definitely had to earn all 45 of his yards. The game situation also hurt his chances of success, as the score was way out of hand early on.
| RB Musa Smith, Rush: 4 - 7 - 0, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (1 targets) |
Smith spelled McGahee a few times, but otherwise didn't see much game actions, even in garbage time.
| RB Mike Anderson, Rush: 2 - 7 - 0, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets) |
Anderson got in the game late. He made one catch and ran the ball a couple of times.
| RB LeRon McClain, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets) |
McClain made one catch and left the game afterwards with an undisclosed injury.
| WR Mark Clayton, Rec: 7 - 90 - 0 (9 targets) |
Clayton led the Ravens in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. Kyle Boller appears to have a real affinity for him. His 90 yards were more at least triple the amount any other Ravens receiver had.
| WR Derrick Mason, Rec: 3 - 30 - 0 (6 targets) |
Mason finished second to Mark Clayton in targets, but only managed to haul in half of the balls thrown in way for a total of 30 receiving yards.
| WR Devard Darling, Rec: 1 - 4 - 1 (1 targets) |
Darling's one catch was a four yard touchdown from Boller in garbage time.
| WR Matt Willis, Rec: 1 - 11 - 0 (1 targets) |
Willis, recently called up from the Ravens' practice squad, made one late game catch off the hand of Troy Smith.
| TE Daniel Wilcox, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Wilcox caught both of his targets for small gains.
| TE Quinn Sypniewski (1 targets) |
Sypniewski was targeted once late, but didn't haul in the ball.
| PK Matt Stover 0 - 0 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 2 points |
Stover connected on both of his PATs, but attempted no field goals.
| BAL Rush Defense |
Baltimore's rush defense gave up 59 total yards on 27 carries for a 2.2 average. They only gave up 32 yards and a 2.5 average to starter Joseph Addai, although they did allow him to score two touchdowns. They forced no turnovers.
| BAL Pass Defense |
Baltimore's pass defense gave up 275 yards on 16 of 22 passing for 12.5 yards per attempt. They allowed four touchdowns off of the arm of Peyton Manning and forced no interceptions. They appeared to miss their starting cornerbacks, who both missed the game with injuries.
