Ravens vs. Colts: Complete Week 5 Preview for Indianapolis
Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano will be taking on his old team in the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday as his current team tries to keep up with the Houston Texans in the race for the AFC South title.
After two losses to start the season, the Colts turned things around with two straight blowout wins against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
Andrew Luck is simply on fire, leading the NFL with 1,305 passing yards and 13 passing touchdowns. However, like a true leader, Luck has made sure to give the credit to his weapons on offense.
"We have a bunch of really high-level playmakers at receiver, tight end, running back," Luck told Jim Corbett from USA Today Sports. "It took us a couple of games to find that rhythm, find that identity. We're all realizing now at any point, any one person can make a huge play."
Luck and company will have a tough test on Sunday, however, going against the Ravens.
After a close loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, the Ravens have started to heat up, winning their last three games. Defensively, they've given up just 15 points per game, tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the second-lowest mark in the league.
As Sunday's big game approaches, let's take a look at a complete Week 5 preview for Indianapolis.
Colts Week 4 Recap
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With starting quarterback Jake Locker out for the Titans, the Colts had little trouble taking their opponent down last week, coming away with a 41-17 victory.
Some aggressive play-calling that included a surprise onside kick in the first quarter helped the Colts take an early lead and keep it throughout the game.
Backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst wasn't able to do much, but a late interception from Andrew Luck right before the second half helped set up the 32-year-old with a touchdown to Delanie Walker just before halftime to trim the Indianapolis lead to 20-10.
But Luck made sure to make up for that late first-half interception, going off for the rest of the game. After finding Reggie Wayne, Coby Fleener and Ahmad Bradshaw for scores, Luck finished the game with 29-for-41 passing, 393 yards, four touchdowns and that late first-half interception.
Defensively, the Colts didn't have too much to worry about. The Titans were forced to play from behind and tried to depend upon their quarterback play, but a number of turnovers kept them from catching up. Mike Adams was on the receiving end of a couple of those turnovers, getting two interceptions on the day.
It was an impressive win for the Colts, but now they'll be trying to prove themselves against a more talented team in the Ravens.
News and Notes
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Sergio Brown to Start In Place of LaRon Landry
Safety was already a big enough concern heading into this season after Delano Howell was placed on injured reserve. Now, the Colts will be without LaRon Landry, who was suspended for four games after violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy, according to Michael David Smith from Pro Football Talk.
With Landry out, the Colts have few options at the position, but Pagano feels that Sergio Brown will be a solid replacement for the next four games.
"Serge will go in and Serge will do a great job," Pagano told WTHR's Rich Nye. "Serge is a big, long, athletic guy. He's got range. He has been in the National Football League for a long time. He fully expects, and we fully expect, for him to go in and play winning football. That's what he'll do."
Brown hasn't seen a lot of snaps on defense for the Colts over the past couple of years, but if he can at least hold his own in pass coverage, he could actually end up being an upgrade at the position.
Robert Mathis Signs One-Year Extension
After his four-game suspension, Robert Mathis is finally back with the Colts. Unfortunately, he's still out for the season with a torn Achilles, but the Colts have made sure that he stays on board for a least a couple more seasons.
ESPN.com's Mike Wells reported that the Colts signed the 33-year-old pass rusher to a one-year extension through the 2016 season. According to Wells, Mathis could reportedly make as much as $6 million during the 2016 season.
While it's unclear how effective Mathis will be when he returns, the Colts have little option but to keep him for as long as possible. The pass rush in Indianapolis has struggled so far this season, with Bjoern Werner doing very little to fill Mathis' shoes. In fact, Werner is still searching for his first sack of the season.
The Colts will continue to look for pass-rushing options over the next couple of offseasons, but in the meantime, they'll be hoping that Mathis can come back and play at a high level once again.
Reggie Wayne Has High Praise for Receivers
During his time in Indianapolis, Reggie Wayne has played with plenty of terrific pass-catchers, including future Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison.
However, Wayne feels like none of those previous units can compare to this one.
While talking with local radio hosts Query and Schultz, Wayne had a lot of good things to say about this year's receivers, according to Kevin Bowen from Colts.com, saying:
"We are pretty loaded offensively. We’ve got some talented guys out there. I’ve been saying of all those teams (in the 2000s), this is by far the most talented group at the receiver position. We’ve got guys that can go in there at any time and be productive. Guys that have a lot of experience in the past. We have something that a lot of teams don’t have the luxury of having so that’s why we want to be the best we possibly can why we have it now. Guys are hungry. They see what we are capable of doing. They want to go out there, put their best foot forward. We’ve done that for two weeks and hopefully we can keep that going.
"
The trio of Wayne, T.Y. Hilton and Hakeem Nicks is scary enough, but the Colts have now begun to use rookie Donte Moncrief more and more in the offense.
So far, Moncrief has looked like a legitimate weapon, making more than a few impressive plays early on. Even Griff Whalen has been useful, proving to be a reliable return man who can step in on offense when needed.
Overall, it's hard to argue with Wayne's reasoning. Luck has more weapons than almost any quarterback in the NFL, and so far he's doing a great job of making sure they all get touches.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Colt Anderson | S | Probable |
| Jerrell Freeman | ILB | Probable |
| Arthur Jones | DT | Out |
| Jack Mewhort | OG | Out |
| Andy Studebaker | OLB | Probable |
| Hugh Thornton | OG | Probable |
Note: All injury statuses from Friday's practice via Colts.com
It's not a shock to see that Arthur Jones is out once again after going down in Week 2 against the Eagles, but it still could end up being a big loss going against Baltimore's rushing attack. Ricky Jean-Francois has held his own as Jones' replacement, but he's not the same player against the run or pass.
The offensive line could see more than a few moves with the recent news that Jack Mewhort won't play against the Ravens.
Because of Mewhort's absence, there's a chance the Colts also start someone else at center instead of A.Q. Shipley. According to Stephen Holder from the Indianapolis Star, Pagano would not reveal who would be snapping to Luck.
The good news this week is that Jerrell Freeman will finally be back for the first time since playing in the opener against the Denver Broncos. He's not an elite linebacker by any means, but he's definitely a significant upgrade to Josh McNary, who has struggled during Freeman's absence.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Vontae Davis vs. Torrey Smith/Steve Smith Sr.
Joe Flacco and the Ravens haven't been afraid to air it out this season, averaging 259.8 passing yards per game. With Landry out as safety, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Ravens try to go deep often using both Torrey Smith and Steve Smith Sr., making it crucial for Vontae Davis to have another big game.
So far, Davis has been one of the most reliable defensive players for the Colts. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Davis has been targeted just 15 times this season, with opposing quarterbacks posting just a 22.6 passer rating when throwing at him. Last week, Davis wasn't targeted once.
It's only been a few games, but Davis has been living up to his big extension up to this point. Now he just needs to keep it up and prevent whoever he's covering from going deep and making big plays.
Colts Front Seven vs. Ravens Running Game
Pagano has prided himself on building a defense around stopping the run, but the Colts will have their first legitimate running attack to try and stop on Sunday.
Despite losing Ray Rice, the Ravens have been just fine on the ground, averaging 134.5 rushing yards per game. Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro have emerged as a solid one-two punch, combining for 404 yards and four touchdowns through four games.
The Colts have given up just 104.8 yards per game on the ground, but except for the Eagles, none of the other three teams have focused on running the ball. Things will be difficult without Arthur Jones for another week, which means that Josh Chapman, Ricky Jean-Francois and Cory Redding will have to step up.
Expect the Colts to also continue giving Zach Kerr some work in the trenches, because if he can play like he has been, he could end up being a key piece to stopping the Ravens from establishing the run.
Reggie Wayne vs. Lardarius Webb
Through four games, Reggie Wayne has looked like his old self. In fact, it doesn't even look like he tore his ACL nearly a year ago, catching 23 passes for 307 yards and a touchdown through four games.
This week, Wayne has a potentially difficult matchup going against Lardarius Webb, but the veteran receiver appears to be the healthier of the two players at this point.
Webb has played in just one game this season and was inactive last week, but according to Aaron Wilson from the Baltimore Sun, head coach John Harbaugh hasn't ruled him out for Sunday.
Even if Webb is able to play, he's going to be hobbled with his back injury. Luck will make sure to get all of his weapons involved, but if Webb is even a little bit slower than usual, the third-year quarterback won't hesitate to go to Wayne.
Colts' X-Factor of the Week: Hakeem Nicks
The Ravens have a few talented players in their secondary, but what they lack is depth. Because of that, third-string wide receiver Hakeem Nicks might finally have his chance to shine.
Despite being healthy, Nicks hasn't gotten to do too much with his new team. In four games, he's caught just 12 passes for 94 yards, although he does have two touchdowns. Nicks doesn't seem to lack confidence, however, as he believes that he's the best receiver in the NFL.
"I still view myself as the best receiver in the league," Nicks told the media, as Curt Cavin from the Indianapolis Star reports. "That expectation ain't never going to change. I'll get a chance to prove it eventually."
If Nicks really wants to be compared to players like Calvin Johnson, Jordy Nelson and Antonio Brown, then he's going to have to show up on Sunday.
Prediction
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This is a potential trap game for the Colts, who have yet to get a win against a legitimate playoff contender this season. Regardless of who wins, there's a very good chance that this game goes down to the wire.
The key for the Colts will be to at least get some production out of the running backs. The Ravens have allowed just 82.5 rushing yards per game so far this season, and the Colts are coming off of a game where they averaged just 2.6 yards per carry as a team. Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson will have to step up in a big way.
Defensively, the secondary is going to have to hold. Davis has been playing great, but Greg Toler has struggled to avoid penalties, while there's a big question mark at safety with Sergio Brown and Mike Adams in the backfield.
Without Arthur Jones on the defensive line, the Colts could struggle to contain the run as well, with the Ravens putting up 134.5 rushing yards per game.
If the running game and defense can't hold it together, the Colts will have to call upon Luck once again to make some magic happen. He has plenty of experience leading his team to come-from-behind victories, and now it appears that he has the most reliable offensive line of his career.
This will be a close one, but with Luck on their side, I expect the Colts to pull out a win. With a win here, next week's matchup against the Houston Texans could be for the top spot in the AFC South.
Prediction: Ravens 24, Colts 27
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