The Indianapolis Colts have been happy with what rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson has shown on the field so far this season. However, the Colts are hoping he can find a way to stay on the field more often. During Week 1, Richardson missed the end of Indianapolis’ game against Jacksonville with a knee injury.
The following week, Richardson was pulled out of the Colts’ win over Houston with a concussion. Now, Indianapolis will be waiting for news on the concussion before he can return to the field. It could be a good opportunity for Baltimore to move to 3-0.
The Baltimore Ravens picked up a momentum win last week by winning on the road at Cincinnati. If the Ravens can beat Indianapolis and start 3-0, Baltimore’s prospects of winning the AFC North will improve significantly.
Return of Minshew Mania
Gardner Minshew has become one of the NFL’s premiere backup quarterbacks. Minshew is a reliable starter who is able to step in in a pinch. Since coming into the league in 2019, Minshew has had several long stretches as a starting quarterback. During his rookie season, Minshew was 6-6 as a starter with Jacksonville.
Minshew also made a few spot starts for the Philadelphia Eagles over the past two seasons in place of Jalen Hurts. During his career, Minshew has thrown for 6,803 yards with 45 touchdowns and 15 interceptions during his 34 appearances. During the Colts’ win over Houston last week, Minshew finished 19 of 23 passing for 171 yards and a touchdown.
Indianapolis hasn’t said if Richardson will play Sunday, only that he is in the concussion protocol. It is likely that he will miss out on the playoffs.
Baltimore’s Running Game Moves Forward
Losing J.K. Dobbins for the season in the season opener wasn’t ideal for the Baltimore Ravens. But the Ravens weren’t ready to panic and try to do something wild, like try to acquire Colts running back Jonathan Taylor in a trade. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh believes the Ravens have the players in place to fill the role.
Baltimore running back Gus Edwards had a team-high 62 yards rushing and scored a touchdown against Cincinnati. The Ravens had Edwards and Justice Hill split carries. Hill also had 11 carries for 41 yards.
Baltimore signed running back Kenyan Drake to its practice squad. Drake, 28, played with Baltimore last season. Drake finished with 482 yards and four touchdowns in 17 appearances last season with Baltimore. For his career, Drake has piled up 3,866 yards in time split between Miami, Arizona, Las Vegas, and Baltimore.
Colts Have Found Way to Get After Passer
Indianapolis has had an uneven start to the season in many areas. The Colts, however, have had several areas of play to be excited about. Indianapolis is on record to set a record for the most sacks in team history. Indianapolis has sacked the quarterback eight times during the first two weeks.
While the Colts may not maintain their 68-sack pace, with 17 games in a season, they have more opportunities to pad their stats. The team record for most sacks in a season was set when the Colts were still in Baltimore in 1975. That year’s Colts team finished with 58 sacks.
DeForest Buckner and Kwity Paye are tied for the team lead with two sacks apiece. Six different players have recorded a sack for the Colts.
Ravens Saw Jackson Continue to Play Well
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson is still adjusting to having a new offensive coordinator. Jacksonville passed for 237 yards during the win over the Bengals. Most importantly, Jackson didn’t give the ball away in any tough spots. Baltimore was able to lean on Jackson to make plays with his feet as well.
Jackson finished with 54 rushing yards. Nelson Agholor and Mark Andrew both caught touchdown passes for the Ravens. Rookie wide receiver Zay Flowers also had a productive day, catching four passes for 62 yards.
Todd Monken was brought on to lead Baltimore’s offense. The Ravens took a chance on a 34-year-old who spent the past three seasons as Georgia’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. While Monken did help Georgia win back-to-back national championships, coaching at the professional level is a different challenge.
Moss Gives Indianapolis Lift in Running Game
Indianapolis running back Zack Moss missed the first game of the season due to an injury. Having him back in the game helped provide some balance to take heat off the quarterbacks. Moss ran the ball 18 times for 88 yards and scored a touchdown.
Moss, 26, spent his first two seasons in Buffalo. He came to the Colts midway through the 2022 season and rushed for 365 yards and a touchdown last season. Indianapolis still isn’t sure about whether or not Jonathan Taylor will be returning to the team. He will be out until at least Week 4 with an injury.
Taylor had requested a trade, and despite many rumors, no one has stepped up to grab the veteran Indianapolis running back in a trade. Taylor led the league in rushing in 2021 with 1,811 yards and carried the ball 332 times. Last season, Taylor was limited by injuries and inconsistency on the coaching staff. Taylor finished last season with 861 rushing yards and scored four touchdowns.
Stone Helps Out in Secondary
Ravens defensive back Geno Stone has been steadily improving since he came into the league in 2020. Stone made a big play against Cincinnati, intercepting Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow in the endzone to kill an important drive. In two games this season, Stone has already equaled a career high for interceptions and passes defensed.
Stone has recorded at least one pass breakup in the last three seasons. He already has 11 tackles through two games, while he had 38 tackles in 17 appearances last season. Stone is a former seventh-round draft pick.
