The Baltimore Ravens inched closer to a spot in the playoffs Saturday night with a 23-16 win over the Indianapolis Colts that pushed them to 9-6 and into the No. 5 seed in the AFC for now.
6 things we learned from the Ravens’ 23-16 win over the Colts
The Ravens didn’t clinch a playoff berth Saturday, but a spot is close to assured now.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
A loss for the Colts is nothing new and drops the team to 3-12, essentially locking up a top three selection for the team in April. If the New York Giants manage to win Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals — or pick up a win in Week 17 coupled with a Colts loss — Indianapolis would move into control of the No. 2 overall pick.
But even though it was an important victory for the Ravens, it wasn’t the smoothest one on a sloppy, rainy night in Baltimore. Here are six things we learned from the Saturday special:
1. The Ravens need to finish drives
The Ravens were forced to punt just once in the first half but went to halftime with only 13 points. Baltimore settled for field goals from Justin Tucker three times Saturday and they came at the end of 14-, 11- and 11-play drives that spanned 52, 54 and 57 yards, respectively.
That’s a lot of controlling the ball and getting first downs, but not finishing with touchdowns that would’ve given the Ravens a comfortable lead that could’ve put the game well out of reach.
The Ravens have been one of the best teams in the NFL at avoiding turnovers and have the best kicker in the game in Justin Tucker, so trips to the red zone usually end in points, regardless. But to win in January, Baltimore is going to need scoring opportunities to result in touchdowns.
2. Joe Flacco is getting back to playoff Joe Flacco form
Through the first 11 games of the season, Flacco had nine touchdown passes and 11 interceptions. In his last four games, he has seven touchdowns and just one interception.
He completed 29 of 38 passes for 237 yards with two touchdowns and no picks Saturday to efficiently lead the Ravens down the field on several long, ball-control drives.
Flacco avoided mistakes and made plays in the red zone when they were there.
It wasn’t a prolific day and not against a tough defense, but it continued an upward trend for the quarterback, and that’s good news for the Ravens if the team hopes to do damage in the playoffs.
3. Frank Gore is still a tank
Rainy, miserable weather has Frank Gore written all over it. The 34-year-old running back continues to run like he’s 24 and bulldozed his way to 68 rushing yards on 17 carries against a stout Ravens defense.
He also scored a 14-yard touchdown on a screen pass.
If Gore can get 74 yards in Week 17, he’ll be the fifth player in NFL history to cross 14,000 rushing yards in a career. If he doesn’t get it next week, there’s always a chance he’ll come back for another go in 2018.
Most running backs slow down around 30. Frank Gore is not most running backs.
4. Michael Campanaro plays the Circle Game
Or at least that’s what I got out of his touchdown celebration in the second quarter.
For the uninitiated, the Circle Game was made popular by the TV show Malcolm in the Middle. If you’re unfortunate enough to look at someone making a circle below their waist like Campanaro made, it means you get a punch on the arm.
He got us, I guess.
5. Special teams were a roller coaster
Baltimore typically wins on special teams. That’s not surprising considering it’s a team with a former special teams coordinator as a head coach and the only team that has a kicking coach.
It manifested early when the Ravens blocked a first-quarter field goal attempt from Adam Vinatieri:
But things went the opposite direction for the Ravens when a punt attempt by Sam Koch in the fourth quarter was blocked, setting up the Colts with a chance to tie or win in the final minutes.
The Ravens’ defense ultimately held up, so the crisis was averted.
6. The Ravens are going to the playoffs
It’s not official yet and Baltimore can’t clinch Sunday, but it would take a wild scenario to keep the Ravens out. A win next week over the Cincinnati Bengals would lock up a spot, but the Titans or Bills slipping up in the last two weeks could do that work for the Ravens.
Tennessee finishes the season with tough matchups matchups against the playoff-bound Rams and Jaguars up next. Buffalo’s path isn’t much easier with road games against the Patriots and Dolphins.
The real question at this point is just finding out which seed the Ravens land and where they’ll travel on Wild Card weekend.
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